Top 5 Cyber Threats for Executives
What are the most important cyber threats for business leaders?
According to research, every company executive should be prepared to deal with the following five cybersecurity threats:
- Ransomware
- Phishing
- Supply chain attacks
- Insider threat
- Emerging and technological risks
1. Ransomware
Ransomware remains one of the most significant and costly threats to businesses. In 2024, the average total cost per ransomware attack worldwide was approximately USD 5.13 million (PurpleSec), including ransom payments, recovery and reputational damage. By 2025, this figure is estimated to rise to between USD 5.5 and 6 million (PurpleSec). At the same time, the average ransom payment reached USD 408,000 (SQ Magazine).
Companies must address ransomware scenarios as part of their risk management plans, which includes:
- measures to prevent situations that could enable ransomware attacks;
- effective incident response that reduces damage, isolates the threat, and ensures optimal resolution;
- compliance with relevant legal and regulatory frameworks during ransomware incident handling.
A key question remains: how should organizations approach ransom payments and sensitive case handling?
2. Phishing
Phishing continues to be one of the most critical threats, as it remains the most common entry point for attackers seeking access to corporate systems. Phishing emails are often the first step in “tunneling” into a company’s infrastructure, giving attackers access to the most sensitive data.
Executives should be aware of globally known phishing incidents that have caused significant financial and reputational damage. How is artificial intelligence now being used to craft “perfect phishing emails”? How can leaders stay one step ahead by understanding the attacker’s mindset? What are the most effective preventive measures to mitigate the success of phishing campaigns?
3. Supply-Chain Attacks
A growing number of companies have suffered serious cyber incidents originating from their supply chain partners. Organizations must implement measures to ensure a secure and resilient supply chain and guarantee that their partners are not the “weakest link” exploited to target them.
A successful supply chain attack can undermine even the most advanced internal security efforts. This risk is particularly relevant in today’s SaaS and cloud environments, where interconnected systems multiply potential attack vectors.
4. Insider Threat
Executives must recognize that cybersecurity threats do not only originate externally. A resilient organization must also be capable of managing potential internal threats, whether they stem from disgruntled or corrupt employees, negligence, industrial espionage or unlawful competitive activity.
Leaders must ensure that sufficient safeguards, monitoring mechanisms and governance policies are in place to make the company internally strong and well protected.
5. Emerging Threats
Today’s cyber threat landscape evolves rapidly with new risks emerging faster than public awareness. Responding effectively often requires immediate action and adaptability.
Executives must be prepared to manage a degree of unpredictability and build flexible, well-structured security frameworks based on best practices.
Examples include AI-assisted attacks, increasingly sophisticated automated vulnerability scans, attacks on industrial control systems, state-sponsored cyber operations and many others that define the current cybersecurity reality.
What to do?
The most effective method for preparing managements with the previous and any other cyber threats is to play through interactive simulations, where the executives themselves can improve their individual knowledge and readiness but also from the company’s perspective in responding to such cyber incidents.
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