Cyber threat trends and predictions for 2025

As we approach the second quarter of the year, it's evident that the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve. These shifts, while not all bad, require regular adaptation in order for organisations to keep pace.

Relying solely on reacting to evolving threats is not a sustainable long-term security strategy. Instead, organisations must stay ahead by keeping up with technological advancements and understanding their impact—particularly how they contribute to an expanding attack surface.

Today, large-scale adoption of AI, IoT, and cloud operations all come with the pros and cons surrounding cybersecurity. While many of the technologies create opportunities for growth, they also introduce new ways for cybercriminals to attack organisations.

Below, we'll cover a number of trends and predictions for 2025 that you'll want to consider as you proactively plan your cybersecurity initiatives.

AI-powered cyberattacks and defense

AI technology has disrupted nearly every industry, introducing a completely new level of speed and automation like never seen before. When it comes to cybersecurity, the introduction of AI has been a double-edged sword.

On one side of the equation, cybercriminals have been leveraging the capabilities of AI to launch much more sophisticated attacks at scale. This includes the use of deepfakes in phishing schemes, as well as creating highly adaptive malware that's able to successfully evade signature-based detection methods.

On the other hand, however, modern security teams are also leveraging AI technology to drastically improve threat detection capabilities. Next-generation security tools are able to actively monitor network activity in real-time, spotting potentially dangerous anomalies and giving security response teams more time to address new threats. They're also able to automate many critical security tasks, including vulnerability prioritisation, user and entity behaviour analytics (UEBA), and various incident response procedures.

The evolution of ransomware

Most people are no strangers to the dangers of ransomware. But over the years, malware has become increasingly more prevalent and harmful. Today, many security organisations are noticing a shift in cybercriminal tactics—from broad, indiscriminate attacks to more targeted efforts aimed at high-value organisations.

Many of the organisations commonly targeted are critical infrastructure companies, including hospitals, utility companies, and government sectors. Due to the critical nature of the services these organisations render, there is a much higher likelihood of receiving ransom payments in an effort to stay operational.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of money to be made on the dark web for any information stolen during these attacks. This introduces even more challenges for organisations as they not only need to think about the state of their operations but also the impact that leaked information data extortion can cause.

Cloud misconfigurations and targeted attacks on cloud-native applications

As more organisations move forward with their digital transformations, cloud adoption is now higher than it's ever been before. However, the move to the cloud, while introducing several new efficiencies for organisations, has also introduced a number of new security risks.

One of the primary risk drivers in the cloud has to do with misconfigured cloud services. These misconfigurations in security settings and user permissions can leave significant gaps across a digital surface that can be exploited by cybercriminals.

At the same time, attackers are also becoming much more informed when it comes to the types of applications and services used by cloud providers. This includes the type of development environments they're designed in, as well as how API connections are configured to connect one service to another.

IoT security risks

The Internet of Things (IoT) has become another industry disruptor that has positively impacted individuals in their personal lives as well as businesses. Smart home devices, wearable fitness trackers, intelligent machine monitoring tools, and interconnected medical devices are regularly used to add more efficiency to everyday tasks.

However, the "always-on" nature of these devices has created a much larger digital surface for attackers to target. Hackers can target them to become part of a larger bot network and carry out a number of large-scale attacks against other targets.

Another challenge in IoT security is that more critical services like healthcare organisations and critical infrastructure companies are using them regularly to streamline operations and improve patient care. Vulnerabilities in connected medical devices can not only lead to increased susceptibility to cyber attacks, but they could also lead to compromised patient safety and the release of sensitive information.

Ongoing cybersecurity talent shortage

For some time now, there has been a major shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals available in the workforce. The demand for specialised talent in these areas is increasing at a rate that's hard to keep up with. The result is that many organisations aren't able to keep pace with the increased severity of modern-day cyber threats.

There is now a concerted effort being placed on cybersecurity training and certifications to help balance these goals. The goal for many industries is to create new opportunities for existing IT workers to gain invaluable security skills to help enhance their organisation's abilities when preparing for and responding to new threats.

In addition to this effort, organisations are also relying heavily on outside security teams to help monitor and manage their ongoing risks. This includes engaging with audit teams that help evaluate vendor risk and provide specialised expertise in recognising and resolving internal security operations inefficiencies.

Increased reliance on advanced cyber threat intelligence platforms

To keep pace with modern security threats, more organisations are starting to invest in cyber threat intelligence (CTI) platforms to assist their efforts. These solutions leverage security information from a variety of sources to help give organisations a clearer picture of emerging threats, the types of tactics being used to circumvent security measures, and where and how their own systems could be vulnerable.

In addition to these solutions, businesses are also regularly engaging with penetration testing services to help validate the integrity of various security initiatives they've put in place. Pen testers simulate real-world attacks against organisations looking for exploitable vulnerabilities or inefficiencies. This combination of efforts gives businesses a better understanding of what security efforts are working and which need improvement, allowing them to prioritise their security investments and allocate resources where they'll have the greatest impact.

Stay on top of shifting trends in cybersecurity

With the cybersecurity landscape continuing to change over time, it's important to keep your organisation adaptive while proactively preparing for future challenges. By understanding and recognising ongoing risks and establishing resilient defense strategies, you can strengthen your security posture and create safer digital environments to operate in.

Nazy Fouladirad is president and chief operating officer of Tevora, a global leading cybersecurity consultancy.

She has dedicated her career to creating a more secure business and online environment for organisations across the country and world. She is passionate about serving her community and acts as a board member for a local nonprofit organisation.