CISO Perspectives 2025: Trends Reshaping Cybersecurity

In a year marked by rapid technological acceleration and heightened digital risk, CISOs find themselves at a critical junction. We had conversations with more than 20 cybersecurity leaders from diverse sectors, and their responses are included in this article. The thoughtful feedback from these leads revealed not only a shared set of concerns but also a roadmap to resilience in 2025 and beyond. From artificial intelligence to board engagement and identity governance, this article unpacks the top trends that will shape CISO priorities over the next year.

AI: Opportunity and Urgency
AI stands out as both an innovation enabler and a cyber risk multiplier. As CISOs adopt internal AI tools for compliance, IT automation, and employee productivity, they simultaneously grapple with new threats like deepfakes, prompt injection, and agentic AI misuse.

“There’s a good strain that’s placed on me and that is to become more educated around AI.” 
– Dan Bowden, Global CISO, Marsh McLennan

Shadow AI is rising as employees adopt tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, and internal copilots before policies can catch up. This introduces visibility, privacy, and compliance challenges. Trust in digital communication is also eroding, as deepfakes and impersonation tactics grow more convincing.

To manage this complexity, many CISOs anticipate the emergence of AI-specific roles focused on governance and risk management. The pressure is also on security teams to quickly educate themselves on foundational AI concepts, major platform architectures, and evolving regulatory guidance. Many CISOs emphasized the need for continuous learning, experimentation, and internal R&D as core components of their AI readiness.

Additionally, CISOs are finding that enabling safe AI adoption creates a compelling opportunity to reposition security as a business enabler. By proactively working with product and operations teams to vet AI vendors, obtain enterprise licenses, and monitor usage, security leaders are able to shift from “gatekeeper” to “strategic partner.”

Identity Sprawl
Machine identities, SaaS integrations, and ephemeral cloud services have led to an explosion in identity sprawl. This growth threatens visibility and increases the likelihood of privilege misuse. Simultaneously, organizations are prioritizing scalable and cost-efficient logging infrastructures.

Furthermore, legacy tech debt and cloud migration continue to challenge foundational security postures.

“We were very heavy on prem, now we’re moving to a lot more cloud... You have to develop a new shared responsibility model.” 
– Michael Newborn, CISO, Navy Federal Credit Union

To address these challenges, CISOs are increasingly adopting a problem-first mindset. Instead of focusing on a specific product or vendor, many are working to define capability gaps first, then examining existing toolsets and identifying where open-source or cross-functional solutions might apply. Only after this internal analysis do they proceed to evaluate external vendors. This approach is helping teams rein in sprawl and avoid duplicate or underutilized tools.

Security teams are also paying more attention to vendor lifecycle management, reassessing past purchases to determine whether tools still deliver value or should be replaced. This continuous scrutiny ensures tighter alignment between security investments and evolving business needs.

Security Keeping Pace With Business
Security programs are often struggling to match the speed of digital transformation. A shift is underway as CISOs try to bring their strategies closer to core business goals.

“With the objectives of security, I think we are trying to move in lockstep with what the business is doing all the time.” – Heather Reed, Head of Cybersecurity, Nestlé Purina PetCare North America

Vendor sprawl is being addressed through platform consolidation, with CISOs looking for fewer, more interoperable tools. Some organizations are now achieving true business/security alignment, reporting improved collaboration and clearer priorities.
Conversely, GRC and traditional DLP are increasingly viewed as low-value areas, with funds redirected to more actionable solutions.

CISOs who have successfully aligned with business functions credit early and frequent engagement. Instead of positioning security as an obstacle, they speak in terms of enablement, impact on revenue, and customer impact. Security teams are embedding themselves into product planning, go-to-market reviews, and executive forecasting meetings. This proactive posture helps CISOs gain influence and ensures their initiatives are well understood across the enterprise.

Some security leaders are also rethinking how they communicate risk to senior stakeholders. Rather than abstract technical metrics, they’re translating risks into business language: lost revenue, brand erosion, customer churn. Dashboards are being revamped to focus on KPIs that boards and executives care about, such as time to detect/respond, exposure coverage, and recovery readiness.

Threats Evolving Faster Than Tools
Attackers are adapting quickly, with social engineering and MFA fatigue tactics on the rise. Even with MFA in place, organizations are vulnerable.

Meanwhile, secure development is underfunded, leaving APIs and modern applications exposed. CISOs express fatigue around overly complex detection platforms like EDR/NDR, which are often noisy and difficult to maintain.

Third-party and supply chain risk remains a common concern, with visibility and control still lagging behind other domains.
To respond more effectively, CISOs are expanding the scope of threat modeling and red teaming. They’re conducting simulated phishing campaigns that account for MFA push fatigue. They’re investing in API inventory and runtime protection. And they’re demanding tighter contract clauses and more frequent attestations from third-party vendors.

There’s also a growing recognition that “checkbox” security simply doesn’t hold up against dynamic threats. More security leaders are leaning into behavior analytics, identity-contextual alerts, and platform-driven response strategies.

Culture, Awareness, and Leadership
CISO success increasingly depends on communication and education, not just technology. Boards are more engaged than ever, yet many still need better cyber literacy.

CISOs stress that progress and true understanding in cybersecurity isn’t linear. It requires consistent effort, clear communication, and support across departments.

Behavioral training is also under scrutiny. Phishing simulations are being re-evaluated in favor of more immersive, behavior-focused learning.

“One of the most undervalued security areas is training and awareness.” 
– Rich Marcus, CISO, AuditBoard

CISOs are investing in ambassador programs, peer-to-peer education, and customized content for different business units. These initiatives are helping shift security from a compliance checkbox to a shared cultural value. When successful, this creates a virtuous cycle: better decision-making, fewer incidents, and more engaged employees.

Looking Ahead
As 2025 unfolds, the role of the CISO will only grow more strategic, with success increasingly defined by collaboration, clarity, and cultural alignment. Organizations that embrace cybersecurity as a business enabler, not a blocker, will emerge stronger, more trusted, and better prepared for the decade ahead.

The most effective CISOs are those who look beyond technology alone. They understand that building trust, shaping culture, and forging partnerships across the business are just as critical as managing risk. In the end, cybersecurity is not just about preventing breaches, it’s about enabling resilient, adaptable, and forward-looking enterprises.

Subscribe to Feats of Strength for more exclusive CISO insights.