Why cyber resilience must be part of every organization’s DNA

As AI brings about excitement and transformative potential, the report reveals that organizations are forging ahead with innovations despite increased security concerns, according to LevelBlue’s 2025 Futures Report. In fact, just 29% of executives surveyed say they are reluctant to implement AI tools and technologies because of cybersecurity ramifications.

AI-powered threats

Organizations expect AI-powered attacks, such as deepfakes and synthetic identity attacks, to rise in 2025, but many remain unprepared. Researchers found that only 29% of executives say they are prepared for AI-powered threats, despite 42% believing they will happen.

Additionally, 32% believe their organization is prepared for deepfake attacks, even though 44% are expecting them. As AI-powered technologies make attacks more sophisticated, 59% of executives say that it is becoming more difficult for employees to identify real threats.

“In 2025, AI is forcing organizations to pivot once again,” said Theresa Lanowitz, Chief Evangelist of LevelBlue. “Our research shows that leaders are becoming more aware of the threats they face, and elevating cyber resilience measures accordingly. However, they still underestimate the potential risk of AI-powered cyberattacks and have extensive work ahead to properly prepare and protect themselves.”

A priority for organizations of all sizes

Fortunately, enterprise alignment and awareness of cyber resilience have been a core focus over the past 12 months, with 45% of executives saying that cyber resilience is recognized as a whole company priority rather than simply a cybersecurity issue, which is an increase from 27% last year.

66% of executives say their cybersecurity team is aligned with lines of business, while 43% of executives within cyber resilient organizations report they are increasing boardroom engagement in resilience-related discussions, compared with 37% of executives overall. In turn, 79% of cyber-resilient organizations say their adaptive approach to cybersecurity enables their company to take greater risks with innovation.

Additional key findings include:

• 48% report needing to get better at defending against AI-powered cyber adversaries
• 41% of organizations say they are experiencing a significantly higher volume of attacks
• 61% of cyber resilient leaders have allocated a cybersecurity budget to new initiatives from the beginning, compared to 46% overall
• 53% of cyber resilient organizations are committing significant investment to advanced threat detection
• 68% say media reports of high-profile breaches have elevated cybersecurity on the C-suite agenda

Rethink cyber resilience

Building cyber resilience requires a strategic, organization-wide commitment. According to the report, organizations should focus on four critical steps: elevating cyber resilience to a board-level priority, adopting a proactive and intentional security posture, fostering a cyber-resilient culture across all employees, and prioritizing software supply chain resilience.

This means aligning cybersecurity with business decisions at the highest levels, investing early in advanced threat detection technologies, implementing a zero trust architecture, promoting regular cybersecurity training for staff, and rigorously verifying suppliers’ security credentials. In a threat landscape where attackers can easily exploit gaps, how leaders act in 2025 will be pivotal to safeguarding their organizations’ futures.