Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2025. Read them in this 17th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
By Nick Scozzaro,
co-founder and CEO at ShadowHQ
As the cybersecurity industry evolves, I predict two major trends
shaping the landscape in 2025. These changes will redefine how organizations
structure their cybersecurity strategies and respond to increasingly complex
threats.
1. Greater Focus on ‘Right of Boom’ Preparedness
The cybersecurity industry has long concentrated on the “left
of boom” – the prevention and detection of attacks. However, with
prevention and detection technologies reaching saturation, the next critical
frontier will be the “right of boom,” encompassing incident response
and long-term recovery after an attack.
This shift means businesses will need to integrate response
strategies that involve all critical functions, including marketing, sales,
customer service, legal, insurance, and executive leadership.
Why This Will Happen:
- Sophisticated
Threats:
Advanced persistent threats and ransomware will make breaches unavoidable,
emphasizing recovery over prevention. - Business Continuity Demands: As attacks
disrupt operations, the ability to maintain customer relationships,
sustain revenue, and manage legal risks will become as crucial as
technical remediation. - Reputation
Management:
Companies must respond publicly with transparency and strength to maintain
customer trust and market value.
Incident response plans will include dedicated teams for customer
communication, media management, and legal compliance. Post-attack recovery
efforts will focus on business continuity, not just system restoration.
2. CISOs Reporting Outside IT: A Move Toward Business Integration
A second key trend will be the continued migration of Chief
Information Security Officers (CISOs) from reporting within IT departments to
reporting directly to executive leadership or operations teams.
Why This Will Happen:
- Strategic Impact: Security is no
longer just a technical issue but a core business concern tied to brand
reputation, customer trust, and regulatory compliance. - Executive Accountability: Boards and
executives will want direct oversight of security performance as part of
broader enterprise risk management. - Operational
Integration:
Security teams will collaborate more closely with legal, compliance, and
operational units, requiring executive-level representation.
CISOs will gain broader decision-making authority and budget
control, while security metrics will be tied to overall business outcomes, not
just technical performance indicators.
Moving forward cybersecurity will no longer be confined to IT
silos. Businesses will adopt a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach that
prioritizes response, recovery, and resilience. Organizations that embrace
these changes will be better positioned to navigate the unpredictable threat
landscape and emerge stronger from future attacks.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With over 20 years in secure communications and high tech, Nick is a visionary who understands how technology changes the way we live and do business. Having been a part of the incredible journey that changed the way the world communicates at BlackBerry, Nick continues to apply his experience and use technology as an enabler for organizations to stand ready against cyber risks that threaten to disrupt business operations and way of life.
