NACD Report: Economic Uncertainty and Cyber Risks Top Board Priorities

Latest NACD data show boards are adapting their focus areas to address evolving business conditions and technological developments

WASHINGTON, DC (July 29, 2025) – The National Association of Corporate Directors® (NACD®), the authority on boardroom practices representing more than 24,000 board members, today released the 2025 Public Company Board Practices and Oversight Survey report, offering critical insights into how U.S. public company boards are evolving to meet fast-emerging governance challenges — from cybersecurity and artificial intelligence to CEO oversight and supply chain resilience. 

Based on responses from more than 200 NACD public-company, corporate-director members, the report reveals how boards are navigating an increasingly complex oversight landscape amid mounting stakeholder expectations, regulatory scrutiny and rapid technological transformation. 

Key Findings: 

Cybersecurity Oversight Increases, but Gaps Persist 

• Boards have become significantly more engaged on cybersecurity, with 77% of directors now discussing the material and financial implications of cyber incidents — a 25-point jump from 2022.  
• Education is also rising: 72% of directors have participated in individual cyber-risk training. However, notable gaps remain in reporting, metrics and access to expertise, with many boards still lacking clear committee roles for cyber-risk oversight and comprehensive response planning. 

CEO Oversight Under Greater Scrutiny 

• More than half of directors (54%) report increased scrutiny of CEO performance over the past three years. However, at the same time, the majority of respondents rated the board-CEO relationship as excellent in terms of mutual trust. 
• Ratings were lower in the areas of clarity of expectations and agility in decision-making, highlighting the need for boards to engage in more intentional and continuous dialogue to strengthen the board–CEO working relationship. 

Supply Chain Rises to Top Board Priority 

• Directors anticipate their organizations’ exposure to supply chain risk to persist or increase over the next 12 months. While 64% of directors express confidence in management’s handling of supply chain issues, only half report having sufficient visibility into key resilience and innovation metrics.  

Artificial Intelligence Oversight Accelerates, but Integration into Governance Trails 

• AI is now a routine topic for over 60% of boards — more than double the number from 2023. Yet few boards have taken steps to integrate AI into governance structures, strategy or risk monitoring.  
• NACD recommends boards embed AI into their oversight frameworks by revising committee charters, clarifying responsibilities and adopting clear metrics.  

"Today’s boardroom is at a strategic inflection point. The rapid convergence of cyber risk, AI disruption, and economic volatility demands a new level of board fluency and foresight, said Peter Gleason, NACD president and CEO. “While it’s encouraging to see directors more engaged on these critical issues, our research shows that intention must now turn into structured governance. It’s not enough to simply talk about risk — boards must evolve their practices to lead through it." 

NACD members can visit the 2025 Public Company Board Practices and Oversight Survey site for access to the complete survey data to benchmark their governance practices.  

Press Contact  
Shannon Bernauer
sbernauer@nacdonline.org 
571-367-3688