In this episode of SHI’s Research Breakdown, host Victoria Barber is joined by SHI Field CISOs Brad Bowers and Rob Forbes to unpack the 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report from the Ponemon Institute and IBM. We also covered this report in the August 8th edition of the Research Roundup newsletter and a recent blog post on the SHI Resource Hub.

Throughout the conversation, they explore how AI is reshaping both attack methods and defense strategies, why breach costs are trending differently in the U.S. compared to the rest of the world, and what CISOs and boards can do to move from reactive to proactive strategies.

They also dive into the dual role of AI as both a weapon and a shield, the critical governance gaps organizations still face, and the business decisions behind paying (or refusing to pay) ransomware demands.

Discussed in this episode

Global data breach costs decline for the first time in five years
How AI is being used by both attackers and defenders
Shadow AI and the risks of poor access controls
Why U.S. breach costs continue to climb past $10 million
Business decision-making around paying ransomware demands
The importance of AI governance and security at the board level
Shifting from reactive spending to proactive cybersecurity strategies