Departing staff drive 100% of data loss cases in Singapore: report

Information protection and governance have now become a top priority for 63% of Singapore security leaders.

Every incident of material data loss reported by chief information security officers (CISOs) in Singapore over the past year was attributed to departing employees, according to Proofpoint.

The figure represents a significant increase from 63% in 2024.

The report, based on interviews with 1,600 CISOs across 16 countries—including 100 from Singapore—highlighted a stark escalation in cybersecurity risk across the region. 91% of Singapore CISOs surveyed said their organisations experienced material data loss in the past year, nearly tripling from 32% the year before. This marks the second-highest rate globally.

Proofpoint noted that although many organisations have implemented insider risk programs, 43% of CISOs still consider their data inadequately protected.

Information protection and governance have now become a top priority for 63% of Singapore security leaders.

The report also found that 82% of CISOs in Singapore feel at risk of a material cyberattack in the next 12 months, up from 67% last year. However, over half (53%) acknowledged their organisations are not adequately prepared to respond to such incidents.

Amid rising threats, ransomware remains a pressing concern. 59% of Singapore CISOs indicated they would consider paying a ransom to prevent data leaks or restore access to systems.

Artificial intelligence, particularly Generative AI (GenAI), is another area drawing attention. Whilst 41% of Singapore CISOs see enabling GenAI use as a strategic priority, 50% expressed concern over the risk of customer data loss through public GenAI platforms.

In response, 53% have implemented GenAI usage guidelines and 66% are exploring AI-powered defences. At the same time, more than half of organisations (51%) restrict employee access to GenAI tools altogether.

The report also sheds light on broader challenges within security leadership. Board alignment with CISOs in Singapore has dropped from 81% in 2024 to 51% this year. Meanwhile, 58% report facing excessive expectations, and 49% have experienced or observed burnout.

Although 56% of organisations have implemented measures to limit CISO liability, 38% still feel under-resourced for achieving their cybersecurity goals.