A Survey of the Changing Landscape of Cybersecurity in 2025

The cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve at a breakneck pace. Advanced AI techniques, geopolitical tensions, sprawling digital perimeters, and regulatory shifts are reshaping the threat and defense paradigm. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025, 72% of organizations report an increase in cyber risk, and nearly half (47%) cite advances in generative AI as their primary concern.

For business and IT leaders, staying ahead means more than patching systems—it means strategic planning, proper governance, and being prepared for threats before they materialize. Below are the top cybersecurity trends in 2025.

AI-Driven attacks and defenses

AI and generative models are no longer a fringe concern—they’re central to both cybersecurity offense and defense. Attackers are increasingly using AI to scale phishing campaigns, craft more convincing social engineering lures, and generate malware that adapts to defenses. Attackers are exploiting AI for deepfakes, identity fraud, and advanced malware evasion.

But AI is also being used for cybersecurity defense. For example, AI is being embedded into Security Operations Centers (SOCs) to automate detection, triage alerts, and drive faster response.

Evolving ransomware and extortion tactics

Ransomware remains a top concern, and it is changing!

Rather than just encrypting data, modern ransomware groups often engage in double extortion, threatening to leak sensitive data publicly if payment is not made. This tactic can double the pressure on victims.

Given the maturity of some attacker groups, business leaders must assume that an intrusion has already occurred and plan accordingly, emphasizing resilience, segmentation, backups, and incident response at parity with preventive controls.

Supply chain and third-party risk

No organization is an island. As businesses increasingly rely on cloud providers, software vendors, and managed services, the supply chain remains a prime target for attackers. CrowdStrike’s 2025 Global Threat Report underscores malware-free or living-off-the-land attacks initiated via trusted vendors. These attacks use built-in operating system tools and features (such as PowerShell) to move laterally, steal credentials, and execute commands without leaving malware files behind.

Mitigation techniques include enforcing least privilege access, logging user and script activity, assessing and monitoring third-party access and risk, and segmenting the network to limit lateral movement in the event of a security breach involving a vendor.

Zero trust and identity

In modern, hybrid-cloud, hybrid-work environments, identity becomes the new battleground.

Additionally, zero-trust architectures continue to gain momentum. Zero trust means verifying every identity, device, and transaction continuously, regardless of location.

Organizations should plan for identity governance that spans humans, machines, and code, under a unified model, especially with the increased use of autonomous AI agents.

Attacks on OT, ICS, and critical infrastructure

In 2025, attackers are increasingly targeting operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) rather than just IT environments, which can disrupt business operations and cause physical damage to infrastructure equipment.

These attacks are especially relevant in manufacturing, energy, facilities, transportation, and utilities, where IoT devices, such as HVAC controllers, sensors, and access controls, present vulnerabilities. Mitigation includes strong segmentation, monitoring industrial traffic, and anomaly detection in OT networks.

Regulatory pressure, liability, and cyber resilience mandates

Cyber risk has evolved from being an IT issue to a legal, governance, and board-level concern. Governments globally are tightening rules and imposing liability.

For example, the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), adopted in late 2024, mandates that manufacturers of digital products (hardware and software) adhere to cybersecurity requirements, report incidents, and support ongoing updates.

In many jurisdictions, executive accountability, breach disclosure obligations, and fines for inadequate security are becoming genuine risks. Boards and C-level leadership must regard cybersecurity as part of operational risk and corporate governance.

Quantum computing risk and crypto transitions

Quantum computing is still in its infancy, but it represents significant threats down the road. Quantum computers can process much more information simultaneously than today’s computers, allowing them to tackle problems that are nearly impossible for classical computers. Most notably, quantum computers can be used for breaking certain types of encryption algorithms (for example, RSA and ECC) and accelerating machine learning.

Palo Alto Networks suggests that attackers are already engaging in “harvest now, decrypt later” tactics—exfiltrating encrypted data today with the intention of cracking it in the future when quantum computing technology becomes more accessible. They suggest that organizations in sensitive sectors, such as defense, biotech, finance, or critical infrastructure, begin to inventory their encryption use, measure their exposure, and plan for crypto transitions in line with NIST’s Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards.

Remain focused on security

Cybersecurity in 2025 is no longer solely about perimeter defense or firewalls. It is an orchestration of governance, identity, AI, continuous posture management, and resilience. Attackers now have sophisticated AI tools at their disposal, allowing them to target supply chains, infiltrate OT systems, and leverage built-in operating system tools for malicious purposes without leaving a trace.

For business and IT professionals, the urgency is clear: Treat cybersecurity as a strategic imperative, not just a technical line item. Build for agility, anticipate the evolution of threats, and invest in resilience. Those organizations that can navigate the changing nature of cybersecurity risk will be the most secure—and competitive—in 2026.

Contact ArcherPoint by Cherry Bekaert to learn how you can improve your organization’s cybersecurity and minimize your exposure to cyber threats.

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