70% of respondents in India identify fast AI ecosystem as top GenAI-related security risk: Survey

ANI May 22, 2025 186 views

A new Thales report shows Indian organizations are most concerned about AI's breakneck speed compromising security. While global data breaches have declined slightly, malware and phishing remain dominant threats. Experts warn companies are adopting GenAI faster than they can assess risks. The survey highlights growing tensions between innovation and security in India's tech landscape.

"The fast-evolving GenAI landscape is pressuring enterprises to move quickly, sometimes at the cost of caution" - Eric Hanselman, S&P Global
New Delhi, May 21: About 70 per cent of organisations in India view the fast-moving AI ecosystem as the most concerning GenAI security risk, followed by lack of integrity (66 per cent) and trustworthiness (55 per cent), according to a survey by Thales having expertise in cyber and digital space.

Key Points

1

70% Indian firms cite rapid AI growth as top risk

2

66% worry about GenAI data integrity issues

3

Global data breaches fell from 56% to 45% since 2021

4

Malware remains top global cyber threat

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.

Reader Comments

R
Rajesh K.
AI is the future but we can't ignore security risks. Indian companies must invest in proper cybersecurity infrastructure before jumping on the GenAI bandwagon. Jaldi ka kaam shaitan ka! 🚨
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Priya M.
Interesting that phishing has overtaken ransomware! In India, we need more awareness campaigns about digital security, especially with UPI frauds becoming so common. Maybe AI can help detect scams before they happen?
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Amit S.
The report mentions nation-state actors as second biggest threat. With our neighbors constantly trying cyber attacks, India needs to develop indigenous AI security solutions. Atmanirbhar Bharat should include cybersecurity too!
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Sunita R.
While the decline in data breaches is good news, 11% in India is still worrying. Companies collecting Aadhaar data and other personal information must be held accountable for stronger protection measures. Data privacy is a fundamental right!
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Vikram J.
The speed of AI development is both exciting and scary. Indian IT firms are leading in AI adoption but are we cutting corners on security? Need proper regulations before it's too late. #ResponsibleAI
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Neha P.
Human error dropping to third place shows our digital literacy is improving! 😊 But with more Indians coming online daily, we need continuous cybersecurity education in regional languages too.
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Karan D.
Respectfully disagree with some findings - in Indian context, I believe ransomware is still bigger threat than phishing. Just last month, 3 hospitals in my city were locked out of their systems. Need India-specific data

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Tags:
AI security GenAI risks Thales survey data breaches cyber threats India tech