Key Points

The 2025 Thales Data Threat Report results reveal a major focus on AI's transformative impact, especially GenAI, which relies heavily on high-quality, sensitive data for functions like training, inference, and content generation.

Thales' report on the latest data security threats, trends, and emerging topics was based on a survey conducted by S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research of over 3,100 IT and security professionals in 20 countries across 15 industries.

"The fast-evolving GenAI landscape is pressuring enterprises to move quickly, sometimes at the cost of caution, as they race to stay ahead of the adoption curve," 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, compounded by the rapid spread of SaaS tools embedding GenAI capabilities, adding layers of complexity and risk," added Hanselman.

Data breaches showed a modest decline, though the threats remain elevated.

While data breaches remain a significant concern, their frequency has slightly decreased over the past few years.

In 2021, 56 per cent of surveyed enterprises worldwide reported experiencing a breach, but that figure dropped to 45 per cent in 2025.

Additionally, the percentage of respondents reporting a breach within the last 12 months has fallen from 23 per cent in 2021 to just 14 per cent in 2025. In India, 11 per cent of respondents reported experiencing a data breach recently.

Globally, malware continues to lead as the most prevalent threat, maintaining its top position since 2021. Phishing climbed to second place, overtaking ransomware, which now ranks third.

Regarding the most concerning threat actors, external sources dominate--hacktivists hold the top spot, followed by nation-state actors. While still significant, human error has dropped to third, down one position from the previous year.

While this year's survey results indicate improvements in security posture, much more is needed to elevate operational data security to fully support the capabilities of emerging technologies such as GenAI and pave the way for future innovations, Thales said in conclusion.

- ANI