As organisations rapidly adopt generative AI (GenAI), the pressure to innovate is running up against the realities of cybersecurity.
A growing number of communications and IT teams are navigating the GenAI delicate balance, where speed to market can expose gaps in security architecture.
The 2025 Thales Data Threat Report, based on responses from over 3,100 professionals across 20 countries, shows that 73% of organisations are already investing in AI-specific security tools. Some are using new budgets, while others are shifting resources to meet the challenge. This uptick reflects both an awareness of risk and the urgency to maintain public trust.
According to the report, GenAI is no longer confined to experimentation. A third of respondents said they’re integrating it into their operations. Yet, as adoption accelerates, so do the risks. Malware remains the top attack type, while phishing has now overtaken ransomware as the second most common threat.
“The fast-evolving GenAI landscape is pressuring enterprises to move quickly, sometimes at the cost of caution,” said Eric Hanselman, Chief Analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research. “Many enterprises are deploying GenAI faster than they can fully understand their application architectures.”
This complexity extends beyond the IT department. On social media, in public-facing platforms, and across internal communications channels, GenAI tools are reshaping how content is created and shared. Without adequate oversight, this can lead to misinformation, poor data handling or accidental exposure of sensitive material.
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Security concerns also extend into the future. The report reveals that 60% of organisations are worried about threats linked to quantum computing, particularly the idea that data encrypted today could be decrypted later—known as the “harvest now, decrypt later” risk.
Todd Moore, Global Vice President of Data Security Products at Thales, said, “It’s encouraging that three out of five organisations are already prototyping new ciphers, but deployment timelines are tight and falling behind could leave critical data exposed.”
While data breach figures have slightly declined since 2021, there’s no room for complacency. External actors like hacktivists and nation-state groups remain the biggest concerns, though human error still plays a significant role.
For communication professionals, the message is clear. Innovation must go hand in hand with preparedness. In a world that’s moving fast, clear and secure communication is not just a support function. It’s the frontline.
