Only 7% of organisations in Thailand have achieved the "Mature" level of readiness required to effectively withstand today's cybersecurity threats, according to the 2025 Cybersecurity Readiness Index compiled by Cisco, a multinational digital communications technology provider.
The finding is a slight decline from the previous year, when 9% of organisations in Thailand were designated as Mature. This demonstrates that cybersecurity preparedness remains low as hyperconnectivity and AI introduces new complexities for security practitioners, Cisco said.
AI is revolutionising security and escalating threat levels, with 9 in 10 organisations (91%) facing AI-related security incidents last year. However, only 57% of respondents are confident their employees fully understand AI related threats, and 47% believe their teams fully grasp how malicious actors are using AI to execute sophisticated attacks. This awareness gap leaves organisations critically exposed.
AI is compounding an already challenging threat landscape. In the last year, 64% suffered cyber-attacks, hindered by complex security frameworks with disparate point solutions. Looking forward, respondents view external threats like malicious actors and state-affiliated groups (45%) as more significant to their organisations than internal threats (55%), underscoring the urgent need for streamlined defence strategies to thwart external attacks.
"As AI transforms the enterprise, we are dealing with an entirely new class of risks at unprecedented scale -- putting even more pressure on our infrastructure and those who defend it," said Cisco chief product officer Jeetu Patel.
"This year's report continues to reveal alarming gaps in security readiness and a lack of urgency to address them. Organisations must rethink their strategies now or risk becoming irrelevant in the AI era."
The Cisco Cybersecurity Readiness Index evaluates companies' readiness across five pillars -- Identity Intelligence, Network Resilience, Machine Trustworthiness, Cloud Reinforcement and AI Fortification -- and encompasses 31 solutions and capabilities.
Based on a double-blind survey of 8,000 private sector security and business leaders in 30 global markets, respondents detailed their deployment stages for each solution. Companies were then categorised into four readiness stages: Beginner, Formative, Progressive and Mature.
SURVEY FINDINGS
The lack of cybersecurity readiness in Thailand is alarming as 86% of respondents anticipate business disruptions from cyber incidents within the next 12 to 24 months. Further:
- AI's expanding role in cybersecurity: An impressive 98% of organisations use AI to understand threats better, 94% for threat detection and 83% for response and recovery, underscoring AI's vital role in strengthening cybersecurity strategies.
- GenAI deployment risks: GenAI tools are widely adopted, with organisations in Thailand saying that 47% of their employees are using approved third-party tools. However, 31% have unrestricted access to public GenAI, and 49% of IT teams are unaware of employee interactions with GenAI, underscoring major oversight challenges.
- "Shadow AI" concerns: 42% of organisations lack confidence in detecting unregulated AI deployments, or shadow AI, posing significant cybersecurity and data privacy risks.
- Unmanaged device vulnerability: Within hybrid work models, 90% of organisations face increased security risks as employees access networks from unmanaged devices, further exacerbated by using unapproved Gen AI tools.
- Investment priorities shift: While 98% of organisations plan to upgrade their IT infrastructure, only 51% allocate more than 10% of their IT budget to cybersecurity (down 15% year-on-year), emphasising a critical need for more focused investment in comprehensive defence strategies, which is incredibly important as threats are not slowing.
- Complex security postures: 93% of organisations report that their complex security infrastructures, dominated by the deployment of more than 10 point security solutions, are impeding their ability to respond swiftly and effectively to threats.
- Talent shortage impedes progress: A staggering 94% of respondents identify the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals as a major challenge, with 51% reporting more than 10 positions to fill.
To tackle today's cybersecurity challenges, organisations must invest in AI-driven solutions, simplify security infrastructures and enhance AI threat awareness. Prioritising AI for threat detection, response and recovery is essential, as is addressing talent shortages and managing risks from unmanaged devices and shadow AI.
"AI opens up new possibilities but adds complexity to an already challenging security landscape, with only 7% of organisations in Thailand achieving a mature level of readiness this year," said Weera Areeratanasak, managing director of Cisco Thailand and Myanmar.
"As they continue to grapple with evolving threats like shadow AI, talent shortages and complex security infrastructures, they need to rethink their approach to security -- one that not only leverages AI for security but also ensures AI itself is secure and scalable."