Executives Say Cybersecurity Has Outgrown The IT Department
Help Net Security, Tuesday, December 30th, 2025
Cybersecurity has moved from a technical problem to a boardroom concern tied to survival. A global Rimini Street study of senior executives shows security risk shaping decisions on technology, talent, and long term planning across industries that keep economies running.
Cyber risk tops the threat list
Security threats rank as the most pressing external risk facing organizations. 54% of respondents list cybersecurity threats as their top concern, ahead of supply chain disruption, regulatory shifts, and economic downturns. This view holds steady across regions and industries, indicating that security exposure is treated as a shared business condition.
Financial services leaders place regulatory change and cybersecurity at the top of their risk priorities, while telecom and energy executives rank cyber threats first. These sectors rely on continuous system availability and interconnected digital supply chains, which increases sensitivity to outages and data loss.