The 2025 Global Cybersecurity Outlook determined a number of complexities which is enabling the “growing inequity in cyberspace.” These include:

• Increased integration of and dependence on more complex supply chains, leading to a more opaque and unpredictable risk landscape

• Escalating geopolitical tensions are contributing to a more uncertain environment

• The rapid adoption of emerging technologies is contributing to new vulnerabilities as cybercriminals harness them effectively to achieve greater sophistication and scale

• The proliferation of regulatory requirements around the world is adding a significant compliance burden for organisations. 

“All of these challenges are exacerbated by a widening skills gap, making it extremely challenging to manage cyber risks effectively,” the report claimed.

With a particular focus on cyber resilience, the report said the public sector is disproportionately affected, with 38 percent of respondents reporting insufficient resilience, compared to just 10 percent of medium-to-large private-sector organizations.

Also, 49 percent of public-sector organisations said they lack the necessary talent to meet their cybersecurity goals – an increase of 33 percent from 2024. Of large organisations, 54 percent identified supply chain challenges as the biggest barrier to achieving cyber resilience.

Cautious Optimism

Despite these obstacles, the report claimed there is cause for cautious optimism: as organisations that embrace proactive risk management, prioritise collaborative approaches across ecosystems and invest in scalable, equitable solutions can help reduce disparities. 

As part of this “addressing systemic vulnerabilities – such as supply chain dependencies and skill shortages – will be essential to promoting a resilient digital ecosystem.”

The report claimed that “overcoming today’s challenges requires not just technological innovation, but a shift in perspective.”

It claims that “cyber resilience must be recognised as a collective responsibility, with organisations of all sizes working together to fortify the interconnected networks that underpin the digital economy.”

Commenting, Simon Phillips, CTO of SecureAck said that the study demonstrates that while large organisations are making strides with improving their cyber defences, smaller organisations are struggling to keep pace with adversary techniques.

“The findings also highlight how dangerous the digital world has become for small businesses – while attackers continue to innovate year on year, they are finding themselves almost perpetually on the backfoot,” he said.

“These organisations are struggling to secure their internal environments and complex supply chains, while cybercrime techniques continually become more sophisticated, and political instability increases the frequency of attacks.”

Dan Raywood Senior Editor SC Media UK

Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.

He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.

Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.