AI-powered attacks, zero-days, and supply chain breaches -- the top cyber threats of 2025
New analysis of recent high-profile breaches and global threat patterns, reveals a cybersecurity landscape dominated by AI-enhanced attacks, organized cybercrime, and rapid exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities.
The research, from compliance automation platform Secureframe, shows critical infrastructure, healthcare, and financial services have become primary targets as threat actors evolve faster than traditional defenses.
Ransomware attacks on industrial operators surged 46 percent in the first quarter of 2025, while healthcare breach costs now average $5.3 million -- 25 percent higher than any other industry.
The report also shows AI-driven phishing, deepfakes, and polymorphic malware are being deployed at scale. Supply chain vulnerabilities are also increasingly exploited through third-party vendors.
Criminal networks are scaling their operations through automation and ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS). Despite global takedown efforts, groups like LockBit remain active, inspiring new copycats such as Interlock.
AI is helping attackers to craft realistic phishing lures, create deepfakes, and generate malware that adapts in real-time. In one case, AI-generated content helped defraud over 500,000 investors in the JuicyFields scam.
Nation-state actors are also intensifying long-term, stealthy advanced persistent threat campaigns targeting energy providers and defense contractors. Notably, APT33 and APT39 which ramped up activity across North America and Europe in 2025.
The report outlines steps that businesses need to take to protect themselves. These include emergency patching of critical systems, MFA enforcement and privileged account monitoring, vendor risk assessments and continuous threat detection, along with cybersecurity tabletop exercises and employee phishing simulations.
You can get the full report from the Secureframe site.
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