CDW Canada,a leading provider of technology solutions and services for Canadian organizations, released its annual Canadian Cybersecurity Study, Canadian Cybersecurity Trends: Bridging Strategy, Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Human Expertise, which explores the evolving state of cybersecurity among Canadian organizations. The study, sponsored by CDW Canada and conducted with additional support and analysis by IDC Canada, surveyed over 704 IT security, risk and compliance professionals.

Cyber Technology Insights: Fastly Shares DDoS Insights to Boost Security

The expanding threat landscape highlights a critical pattern in 2025. Cyberattacks continue to decrease in frequency, yet successful attacks have intensified and become increasingly disruptive. In the past 12 months, 87 percent of Canadian organizations have reported experiencing a security incident, coupled with a 10 percent year-over-year increase in the length of downtime per incident. This pattern indicates a need for Canadian organizations to prioritize proactive cybersecurity to avoid these detrimental disruptions to their business.

GenAI progress stalls amid gaps in security and governance frameworks

Over the past year, organizations have raced to explore the potential of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), but the excitement has exposed a critical paradox. While organizations recognize GenAI’s transformative potential, many are facing security and compliance barriers that have slowed full-scale adoption.

Canadian organizations are particularly grappling with the complex challenges of securely integrating and scaling GenAI into business operations. Between 2023 and 2024, businesses conducted an average of 17 GenAI proof-of-concepts (PoCs), yet fewer than a third (28 percent) successfully transitioned to full production as concerns over data privacy and compliance put projects on hold.

The majority cite common barriers to adoption, including data privacy concerns (64 percent), skills shortages (57 percent) and system integration complexities (44 percent).

The rush to integrate GenAI has highlighted gaps in Canadian organizations’ foundational frameworks. However, this provides a key opportunity for organizations to strategically assess their data governance and compliance capabilities at a moment when the full potential of GenAI is still in its infancy.

“The competitive advantages of GenAI are undeniable, but rushing into full-scale adoption without a strong security framework is a risk no organization can afford,” said Ivo Wiens, Field CTO, Cybersecurity at CDW Canada. “This slowdown isn’t a failure but a necessary step for businesses to address foundational security gaps with thoughtful intent.”

Cyber Technology Insights: Jonathan Rende Named Checkmarx Chief Product Officer

To participate in our interviews, please write to our CyberTech Media Room at sudipto@intentamplify.com

Source – Businesswire