Businesses must assume a breach is coming, says OpenText

At the OpenText Cybersecurity and RP Tech Partner Leadership Forum 2026, executives said rising AI-driven threats, compliance requirements and business resilience concerns are reshaping both customer conversations and partner opportunities.

Rising AI-driven threats, growing compliance obligations and increasing pressure around business resilience are changing how enterprises approach cybersecurity, creating new opportunities for partners that can help customers manage risk and recovery.

Speaking at the OpenText Cybersecurity and RP Tech Partner Leadership Forum 2026 at The Leela Ashtamudi, Kerala, OpenText executives said customer discussions are shifting away from traditional security products and toward broader conversations around business continuity, resilience and compliance.

According to Steve Stavridis, regional vice president, APAC Sales, OpenText Cybersecurity, organisations are no longer treating cybersecurity as a purely technical function managed by IT teams.

“Security is no longer just an IT discussion; it’s a boardroom discussion. It’s a business conversation,” Stavridis said.

He said the rapid rise of AI is contributing to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, forcing organisations to rethink how they prepare for, respond to and recover from security incidents.

“Cyber threats are evolving and becoming more sophisticated. With AI fueling those threats, how does a business keep up with staying compliant, staying resilient, and being able to block and recover from attacks?” he said.

The conversation, according to Stavridis, is moving beyond traditional technologies, including firewalls, antivirus software and perimeter security controls.

Instead, enterprises are evaluating cybersecurity as a business capability that directly affects operational continuity, customer trust and regulatory compliance.

“When we talk about security and cybersecurity, we’re talking about business capability,” Stavridis said.

“How do we enable a business to be resilient, block threats and recover quickly when something happens?”

Preparing for breaches rather than assuming prevention

Stavridis said one of the realities organisations must now accept is that cyber incidents are becoming increasingly common.

“The point of the story is that this is happening. People are getting breached,” he said.

“If you haven’t been breached today, chances are it’s coming, and you need to be prepared for it.”

That preparedness extends beyond security operations teams and into executive leadership and board-level decision-making.

According to Stavridis, boards are facing growing pressure to understand not only how organisations defend against attacks but also how quickly they can recover when incidents occur.

OpenText’s threat intelligence research highlights the scale of the challenge. As part of its latest threat report, OpenText surveyed approximately 400 organisations in India to understand how businesses are responding to the evolving threat landscape.

According to Stavridis, 90 percent of surveyed organisations reported experiencing a cyber incident or cyberattack during the previous 12 months.

The findings also revealed significant challenges around recovery.

“Approximately 80 percent said they ended up paying the ransom because it was easier to simply pay,” Stavridis said.

The data, he argued, demonstrates why cybersecurity is becoming a business resilience issue rather than a technology discussion alone.

Compliance and regulation add another layer

Beyond the growing sophistication of cyber threats, organisations are also facing increased regulatory scrutiny.

Stavridis pointed to India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act as one example of how compliance requirements are reshaping boardroom priorities.

Businesses are being required to pay closer attention to how data is stored, accessed and managed, while ensuring compliance with evolving regulatory expectations.

“All of these external forces are prompting businesses to move beyond simply paying a ransom or implementing basic security,” Stavridis said.

“They now need to comply with legislation because it affects the board and the business.”

According to him, compliance obligations, data governance requirements and AI-driven cyber risks are collectively driving organisations toward a more strategic approach to cybersecurity.

Partners move from product sellers to resilience advisors

The shift is also creating new opportunities for channel partners.

Stavridis said OpenText’s objective is not only to help customers improve cyber resilience but also to help partners build profitable cybersecurity practices around those requirements.

“Our strategy is to help you build a profitable cybersecurity business,” he said.

“That’s what the next two days are about.”

Roshan D’Souza, director sales, OpenText India, said collaboration is becoming increasingly important as cybersecurity challenges grow more complex.

According to him, partners attending the forum represent different levels of cybersecurity maturity and expertise, creating opportunities for knowledge sharing and joint problem-solving.

“Events like this help create conversations across partners,” D’Souza said.

“That’s where the bridge happens, partners talking to each other. They’re not competitors anymore; they’re collaborators.”

D’Souza said OpenText is helping partners develop cybersecurity capabilities while encouraging greater collaboration across the ecosystem.

Some partners have developed expertise in specific areas, while others are still building their capabilities.

Through forums such as this, OpenText aims to help partners learn from each other, share best practices and strengthen their ability to address customer challenges.

“We equip MSPs with capabilities, but the key need is collaboration,” D’Souza said.

“We have to work together to solve the problems that exist in the market.”

As cyber threats continue to evolve and compliance requirements become more demanding, OpenText believes the next phase of cybersecurity growth will depend not only on technology adoption but also on stronger collaboration between vendors, partners and customers.

For partners, that means moving beyond product conversations and increasingly helping customers build resilience, improve recovery capabilities and navigate a rapidly changing risk landscape.