Cyber Threat Report: Emerging Threats for 2025 and Beyond

Friday 25th April 2025

John Tait

Head of Technical Pre-sales

Author

Daniela Miccardi

Cyber Security & Enterprise Networking Marketing Manager

Editor

Executive Summary

The threat landscape for 2025 and beyond is being shaped by increasingly organised, fast-moving, and persistent cyber adversaries.

From sophisticated ransomware operations to stealthy, malware-free intrusions and the strategic use of artificial intelligence, attackers are leveraging advanced techniques to compromise both public and private sector organisations at speed and scale.

In this report, we review and discuss the top ten threat categories we believe will have the greatest impact in the coming years. It has been developed to support security specialists, and business leaders with clear, digestible insight into each threat, why it matters now, and how organisations should respond.

Key trends include:

The professionalisation of cybercrime, with attackers operating like legitimate businesses and rapidly adapting to disruption
AI in both offence and defence, enabling smarter phishing attacks, faster data analysis, and deeper impersonation tactics
Cloud and SaaS exploitation, where misconfigurations and compromised credentials remain common entry points
The rise of stealth, with malware-free intrusions becoming harder to detect using traditional tools
Ransomware evolution, with double and triple extortion becoming the norm and affiliates using evasive techniques to avoid detection
Compliance pressure, as regulators around the world impose stricter rules and higher expectations for cyber resilience

Each section of this report provides a plain-language overview of the threat, what it means for businesses, and practical steps to improve defences. Whether you are shaping an internal strategy, or supporting delivery, this report is designed to inform your approach and elevate cyber security awareness across the organisation.

The Rise of the Enterprising Adversary

What is the Threat?

Adversaries are now running their operations like commercial businesses, scaling quickly, reusing successful techniques, and automating large parts of their attacks. These groups often share infrastructure and resources and can even recover from major takedowns by relaunching under new names or versions, as seen in recent ransomware campaigns.

Why It Matters in 2025?

The speed of attacks is increasing rapidly. In many cases, it now takes less than an hour (with some now reported to be less than 1 minute) from initial breach to full compromise of an environment. Groups can relaunch with upgraded tactics shortly after law enforcement disruption, showing resilience and adaptability.

These attackers are professional, persistent, and opportunistic.

What It Means for Organisations?

Organisations can no longer rely solely on perimeter defences or hope to detect threats after the fact. The speed and scale of these attacks demand early detection and rapid response capabilities.

How to Respond

Prioritise proactive threat detection and real-time monitoring
Invest in threat intelligence to understand attacker behaviour and tactics
Ensure incident response plans are up-to-date and regularly tested

AI and Generative AI in Attacker Toolkits

What is the Threat?

Artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI (genAI), is now used by both defenders and attackers. While defenders use it to streamline security operations and threat detection, attackers exploit the same tools to scale phishing, impersonation, and reconnaissance.

Why It Matters in 2025?

AI has the potential to enhance nearly every stage of an attack, from creating believable phishing emails to analysing stolen data at speed. Real-world examples now include malware using AI to read sensitive text from images, and AI-generated content being used to deceive users and systems alike.

What It Means for Organisations?

This dual-use nature of AI means that while it can strengthen defences, it also presents a new and evolving attack surface. Organisations must stay ahead of how these tools can be used maliciously, not just defensively.

How to Respond

Use AI to support threat detection, especially for identifying unusual behaviours and suspicious content
Educate staff on AI-generated threats, including deepfakes and synthetic media
Assess and monitor the use of AI tools in the business to prevent accidental exposure or misuse
Ensure policies and procedures include considerations for both AI-powered attacks and defences

Social Engineering as a Business

What is the Threat?

Social engineering involves manipulating individuals into revealing confidential information or taking actions that compromise security. These attacks often appear legitimate and exploit human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities.

Why It Matters in 2025?

Social engineering tactics such as phishing and vishing (voice phishing) have evolved into full-scale operations. Criminal groups now run these like businesses, complete with call centres and playbooks. Attackers impersonate IT support, executives, or vendors to bypass technical controls.

What It Means for Organisations?

Even with the best technical controls, the human factor remains a weak link. Employees, especially those in finance, IT, or customer service, are often targeted to gain initial access or steal credentials.

How to Respond

Deliver regular, engaging awareness training to all staff
Simulate phishing and vishing attempts to test readiness
Encourage a strong reporting culture and make it easy to flag suspicious activity
Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to limit the impact of credential theft
Consider implementing passwordless authentication methods, such as biometric logins or hardware security keys, to reduce reliance on traditional passwords and further enhance security

Stealth and Malware-Free Intrusions

What is the Threat?

Not all cyberattacks rely on traditional malware. Increasingly, attackers gain access using stolen credentials or system vulnerabilities, then operate manually, often using tools already present in the environment. These are known as "malware-free" or "hands-on-keyboard" intrusions.

Why It Matters in 2025?

These stealthy attacks are harder to detect because they don't trigger antivirus or traditional endpoint security alerts. Attackers blend in with normal user behaviour, allowing them to remain undetected for longer and causing more damage.

What It Means for Organisations?

Malware-free attacks highlight the limitations of legacy security tools. They pose serious risks, including data exfiltration, operational disruption, and reputational harm. Businesses may not realise they've been breached until it’s too late.

How to Respond

Implement behaviour-based detection tools that can flag unusual activity
Monitor for signs of lateral movement within the network
Reduce administrative privileges to limit attacker options
Conduct regular threat hunting exercises to proactively identify intrusions

Cloud and SaaS Exploitation

What is the Threat?

Cloud infrastructure and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms are popular targets for attackers due to their growing adoption and complex configurations. Threat actors often exploit weak identity controls, misconfigured permissions, or compromised credentials to gain access.

Why It Matters in 2025?

More organisations are moving critical workloads to the cloud and adopting SaaS for collaboration and productivity. Attackers are keeping pace by targeting cloud-specific tools and services. Common tactics include abusing Single Sign-On (SSO) to move laterally across services and exploiting cloud misconfigurations to exfiltrate data or escalate privileges.

What It Means for Organisations?

A breach in a cloud or SaaS environment can expose sensitive data across multiple systems. The shared responsibility model means many businesses underestimate their role in securing cloud services. Without proper oversight, these environments become attractive, low-effort targets for attackers.

How to Respond

Enforce least privilege access and regularly review permissions
Monitor cloud activity logs for anomalies and unauthorised access attempts
Secure identity and access management with multi-factor authentication and role-based controls
Conduct regular configuration audits using cloud security posture management (CSPM) tools
Consider adopting Enterprise Browsers that offer built-in security features for accessing SaaS applications. These can help enforce data protection policies, prevent session hijacking, and reduce risks associated with unmanaged devices or insecure browser plugins

Supply Chain and Enterprise Vulnerabilities

What is the Threat?

Attackers increasingly exploit weaknesses in third-party vendors, suppliers, and outdated internal systems. By compromising one link in the chain, often a trusted software or hardware provider, they can gain access to multiple downstream customers or internal systems.

Why It Matters in 2025?

The supply chain has become a favoured vector for attackers due to the high impact and broad access it offers. Groups frequently exploit well-known vulnerabilities in popular remote access tools and software platforms, often months after patches are released. Additionally, enterprise infrastructure still relies on legacy systems or unpatched devices, which are often overlooked in security programs.

What It Means for Organisations?

Supply chain compromises can have cascading effects, resulting in data breaches, operational downtime, or regulatory non-compliance. Vulnerabilities in enterprise systems, especially when chained together, can allow attackers to escalate access and remain undetected.

How to Respond

Conduct thorough due diligence on all third-party providers and monitor their security posture
Require suppliers to meet minimum cybersecurity standards and provide assurance documentation
Regularly update and patch enterprise systems, especially those exposed to the internet
Use vulnerability management tools to detect and remediate weaknesses proactively
Isolate critical systems and apply network segmentation to limit the blast radius of a breach

Insider Threats and Identity Misuse

What is the Threat?

Insider threats occur when individuals within the organisation, such as employees or contractors, misuse their access, either maliciously or unintentionally. Identity misuse also includes external attackers using stolen credentials to impersonate legitimate users. These threats often involve creating domain accounts, abusing valid credentials, or escalating privileges using administrative tools.

Why It Matters in 2025?

With more businesses embracing remote and hybrid working, the potential for accidental data leakage or deliberate sabotage is increasing. Additionally, identity-based attacks remain a top technique for gaining initial access to systems. Techniques used by threat actors continue to evolve, making detection and response even more challenging.

What It Means for Organisations?

An insider with legitimate access can bypass many perimeter security tools. Without proper visibility into user behaviour, organisations may not notice misuse until significant damage is done.

How to Respond

Implement user behaviour analytics (UBA) to detect unusual access patterns
Enforce strict access controls, limiting users to only the data and systems they need
Promote a culture of security awareness and clear reporting channels
Regularly review access permissions, especially for privileged accounts
Adopt identity and access management (IAM) tools that include monitoring, alerting, and automatic policy enforcement

Nation-State and Strategic Targeting

What is the Threat?

Nation-state cyber operations are long-term, well-funded campaigns often aimed at espionage, disruption, or strategic advantage. These attacks typically target critical sectors such as government, defence, energy, healthcare, and high-value private sector organisations.

Why It Matters in 2025?

The frequency and sophistication of these operations are increasing, often aligning with geopolitical tensions. Industries linked to national infrastructure or sensitive intellectual property are at heightened risk, and these threats do not follow the same playbook as financially motivated cybercrime.

What It Means for Organisations?

Nation-state actors often go undetected for months, quietly gathering intelligence or preparing for disruption. Their activity can compromise trust, disrupt services, or even endanger public safety. These threats affect not only government institutions but also private businesses that fall within the broader strategic interests of a nation.

How to Respond

Monitor threat intelligence feeds for indicators of advanced persistent threats (APTs)
Build strong incident detection and response processes with a focus on stealthy, low-noise attacks
Apply rigorous patch management, especially for systems commonly used in targeted sectors
Collaborate with industry and national cybersecurity bodies to stay updated on relevant threat activity
Ensure critical systems are segmented, backed up, and covered by contingency planning in the event of disruption

Ransomware Evolution and RaaS Expansion

What is the Threat?

Ransomware continues to be a dominant and evolving threat. In 2025, the landscape includes highly sophisticated ransomware groups offering their services through Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) models. These platforms provide tools and infrastructure to affiliates, enabling even less technically skilled attackers to carry out major operations.

Why It Matters in 2025?

Recent trends show a resurgence of well-known ransomware groups with new capabilities. Advanced variants are now employing evasion techniques such as API obfuscation, DLL hijacking, and the disabling of security logging tools. These tactics help ransomware avoid detection and increase the likelihood of successful encryption and data exfiltration. Double and triple extortion strategies—where attackers not only encrypt data but also steal it and threaten public disclosure or DDoS attacks—are becoming standard practice.

Ransomware campaigns are increasingly targeting:

Under-protected systems such as Linux and VMware ESXi
Critical infrastructure sectors, including manufacturing, finance, and healthcare
Cloud services and SaaS platforms for broader data access and extortion leverage

What It Means for Organisations?

The impact of modern ransomware goes far beyond temporary disruption. Organisations may face long recovery times, significant data loss, and reputational damage. Regulatory scrutiny is also increasing for incidents involving data breaches and prolonged outages.

How to Respond

Implement a zero-trust security model to limit attacker movement
Maintain regular, tested backups that are isolated from the main network
Strengthen endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to catch evasive techniques early
Use threat intelligence to identify emerging ransomware trends and Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)
Ensure your incident response plan includes extortion scenario playbooks and legal counsel involvement
Raise employee awareness around phishing and social engineering, as these remain common initial access points
Stay updated on newly exploited vulnerabilities and apply patches promptly

Evolving Compliance Landscape

What is the Threat?

The global regulatory environment is becoming more complex and demanding. Data privacy laws, cybersecurity regulations, and sector-specific compliance obligations are evolving, with enforcement becoming stricter and penalties more severe.

Why It Matters in 2025?

With cyber threats rising and data breaches becoming more impactful, regulators are tightening standards around how data is stored, accessed, and protected. Failing to meet these requirements can result in significant fines, legal liabilities, and reputational damage. Moreover, global organisations must manage compliance across multiple jurisdictions.

What It Means for Organisations?

Compliance is no longer a checkbox exercise—it requires continuous effort, collaboration between departments, and real-time visibility into data usage and security practices. Regulators are also increasingly expecting proactive risk management and evidence of incident preparedness.

How to Respond

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant regulations and reporting requirements
Implement automated compliance monitoring tools to reduce manual effort
Build strong relationships between IT, security, legal, and risk teams
Ensure all critical systems and third-party vendors adhere to applicable security standards
Regularly test incident response and breach notification processes to remain audit-ready

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