Gartner’s top security trends for 2025 cover everything from the impact of relational AI to technology optimization, fatigue, managing machine identities, and continued talent shortages. Read more about the company’s six security changes for the year.
1. Data protection programs will change as a result of GenAI’s fall.
Protecting disorganized information, such as text, images, and videos, is now the top priority in the organization. Prior to now, stability and financial resources specialized in keeping structured files like databases safe.
2. Equipment names are managed throughout the entire enterprise.
Due to the increasing adoption of AI, machine accounts and credentials are frequently used for actual devices and software workloads, increasing an organization’s potential harm surface. Therefore, leaders must not only create a plan to implement robust machine identity and access management ( IAM ), but also ensure that the effort is coordinated across the enterprise.
In the same way, Zilla Security’s 2025 State of IGA Report discovered that individuality governance is dysfunctional. According to the report, 84 % of businesses still rely on manual identity governance and administration ( IGA ) procedures, making them vulnerable to attacks, ineffective, and suffocated by growing compliance demands.
3. Artificial activities will be given new priority.
Security leaders are being forced to concentrate on narrower use cases with more quantifiable effects by the implementation of AI because of the combined outcomes. Implementations may be correlated with AI practices and tools with existing metrics from existing initiatives to improve awareness of the true value of AI investments as the implementation becomes more defensive.
4. Enhanced security systems
According to a Gartner study of 162 large corporations conducted in 2024, businesses use an average of 45 security tools. Leaders need to consolidate and examine key security controls in their toolsets to create more effective and efficient security programs because there are more than 3, 000 vendors in the field.
5. GenAI adds value to programs promoting safety culture and behaviour.
Effective leaders are aware of the importance of safety tradition and behavior programs, as well as the use of GenAI to lessen employee-driven cybersecurity incidents. A proper move toward incorporating security into corporate culture has resulted in more culturally and behaviorally focused activities.
Observe: TechRepublic Premium: The IT Leader’s Guide to Cybersecurity Awareness Training.
6. investments in efforts to promote staff wellness.
An industry that is already suffering from what Gartner refers to as a structural skills shortage is concerned about security leadership and team stress. With limited power, administrative support, and resources, this pervasive stress is brought on by the constant demands associated with securing very complex organizations in constantly changing threat, regulation, and business environments.
According to a document from BlackFog for 2024, 24 % of CISOs/IT protection decision-makers want to leave their jobs for reasons including the pressure of using AI to launch attacks. In response, according to Gartner, it will become a priority to handle and recognize stress in officials and their team.