Employees pose the biggest cyber threat to Brazilian companies, according to a Proofpoint study

A global survey conducted by Proofpoint and released on Friday, 25, interviewed 1,600 chief information security officers (CISOs) across 16 countries, including 100 in Brazil. The findings reveal that employees have become the primary vulnerability in corporate security. While concerns about external attacks have waned, attention has shifted to internal behavior.

Expectations of external attacks decline, but internal risks grow

The percentage of Brazilian CISOs anticipating a significant security incident in the next 12 months dropped from 86% in 2025 to 54% in 2026. Actual data loss also decreased, falling from 85% to 53% of companies. However, 72% of security professionals identify employee behavior as the greatest vulnerability. Among organizations that have experienced data breaches, 94% attribute the issue to employees who are in the process of leaving the company.

Marcos Nehme, General Manager of Proofpoint in Brazil, states: “Today’s security perimeter is fundamentally human.”

Generative AI emerges as a new concern

Concerns about generative artificial intelligence tools have increased by 12 percentage points over the past year, with 77% of Brazilian CISOs now viewing them as a risk. Additionally, 69% believe employees will use these tools in ways that expose sensitive data, and 77% have already implemented blocks or restrictions on their internal use.

To address this challenge, 87% of security leaders plan to prioritize the secure adoption of AI assistants over the next two years. However, 76% anticipate having to manage these risks without additional resources or specialists.

Patrick Joyce, Proofpoint’s global resident CISO, observes: “Security leaders are being asked to do two things simultaneously: protect the business and help adopt transformative technologies safely and quickly.”

Financial impact of incidents rises despite fewer attacks

Although the number of incidents has decreased, the damage caused by each incident has increased. Regulatory sanctions among affected companies rose from 35% to 43%, and recovery costs nearly doubled, increasing from 33% to 55% of impacted organizations. Pressure on CISOs has also intensified: 82% report greater alignment with boards of directors, while 69% feel the burden of excessive expectations.

The survey was conducted by consultancy Censuswide in May 2026, with 100 CISOs interviewed in each of the 16 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, India, and Brazil.