Report Highlights Disconnect in Cyber Readiness

A significant cybersecurity perception gap exists within many organizations, according to findings from the Bitdefender 2025 Cybersecurity Assessment released on October 24, 2025. The report suggests that executives and on-the-ground practitioners view cyber risk differently, a disconnect that can influence organizational priorities, resource allocation, and incident response. This difference in perception can evolve from minor disagreements into major security blind spots over time. The assessment’s data is based on a survey of 1,200 cybersecurity and IT professionals across various organizational levels.

Confidence at the Top, Caution on the Ground

At first glance, the survey results indicate broad optimism. An impressive 93% of all respondents stated they are “somewhat” or “very confident” in their organization’s ability to manage cyber risk even as the attack surface expands. However, a closer analysis of the data reveals a clear split based on job seniority. The report shows that nearly half (45%) of C-level respondents, including Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and Chief Information Officers (CIOs), describe themselves as “very confident” in their organization’s cyber readiness. This high level of confidence expressed by leadership is not uniformly shared throughout the IT and security departments. The assessment’s detailed findings show a distinct contrast between the confidence levels of the C-suite and those of mid-level professionals, highlighting a fundamental gap in how risk is perceived from the top down.