5 Key Cyber Security Trends for 2025

[jrineakter]

As the digital world continues to evolve, threats to organizations are becoming more sophisticated, pervasive, and disruptive. Our annual 2025 State of Cyber Security Report is intended to provide cyber security leaders with critical insights into the evolving threat landscape and help them prepare for the advanced threats their organizations may face in the coming year.

This year’s report highlights several key trends that will shape the future of security, from the growing role of AI in cyber warfare to the rising threat of infostealers.

Let’s take a closer look at the five most significant cyber security trends for 2025:

Cyberwars: AI Amplifies Disinformation and Influence Campaigns
In 2025, AI will be increasingly leveraged in cyber warfare, particularly in the context of disinformation and influence campaigns. Nation-state actors and cyber criminals alike are italy whatsapp number data employing AI tools to amplify fake news, create deepfakes, and manipulate public opinion. As these technologies become more advanced and widely-used, the ability to manipulate media, elections, and public sentiment is growing, making it harder to differentiate between truth and fabricated content.

Another concerning trend is the rise of state-affiliated hacktivism. Hacktivists, often with the backing or encouragement of governments, are using cyber attacks to further geopolitical agendas, promoting disinformation and destabilizing their enemies. These activities could be a precursor to more severe cyber wars and a shift in strategy. We may soon experience a transition to larger, more sophisticated attacks with long-term consequences to their targets rather than the attacks that focus on immediate, high-impact damage we’ve seen in the past.

Ransomware: Fragmentation and Data Exfiltration
Ransomware continues to be one of the most prevalent and damaging forms of cyber crime. Law enforcement operations have made significant strides in disrupting large ransomware networks, and we’re now seeing these groups being displaced by smaller, more dynamic groups that quickly shift targets and tactics.



We have also seen a transition from traditional encryption-based ransomware attacks to data exfiltration extortion. Instead of simply locking up files and demanding payment for a decryption key, cyber criminals now steal sensitive data and threaten to release it if their demands are not met. This change in tactic adds an additional layer of pressure on organizations, particularly those that handle confidential or personal data such as those in financial services, healthcare, and education.

Healthcare, once the second most targeted sector for ransomware, has become an even bigger target. A full 10% of ransomware attacks are now in the healthcare industry. There is no moral or ethical boundary for cyber criminals.