Happy New Year! The coming weeks and months hold great promise for us all. Unfortunately, “us all” includes cybercriminals and hackers looking to use cutting-edge tactics to their fullest advantage. As a result, it is even more necessary to be aware of and prepared for the cybersecurity threats that 2025 is likely to see.

What Trends Have Been Predicted in 2025?

There is no shortage of anticipated tactics and needs that the rest of 2025 will likely bring. A (very non-comprehensive) list includes the following:

AI Will Be Used to Improve Threats Across the Board

2024 was undoubtedly a banner year for artificial intelligence, but unfortunately, this includes its use for cybercriminal purposes. Hackers who use AI can and will craft more effective attacks. Whether attempting to phish their target, commit fraud through deepfake technology, or empower malware by enabling it to adjust its tactics, attackers who use AI will be more dangerous for either businesses or private users. 

In addition to threats becoming more effective, aspiring attackers can more easily access the tools they need to launch attacks against their targets. Plus, many conventional security solutions may not be equipped to detect and remediate AI-enhanced attacks properly, meaning that some upgrades to AI-powered security tools are called for sooner rather than later to fight fire with fire. 

Supply Chains Will Still Be Targeted Heavily

Many modern cyberattacks exploit businesses' relationships with third-party vendors and suppliers, sneaking in through these trusted resources or stealing the data these affiliated businesses collect. This approach has risen in popularity lately and is only exacerbated by businesses not tracking who has what data.

Moving forward, businesses must carefully examine their service-level agreements with these external parties while closely monitoring who possesses their data. 

Cyber Insurance Will Become More Valuable But Have More Stringent Prerequisites

Cyber insurance has grown in popularity as the years have passed, a trend saving many businesses from financial ruin. We expect even more businesses will invest in this protection as other threats become more prevalent and effective. That said, insurance providers will likely increase their requirements for businesses to meet to obtain coverage, particularly regarding risk management and implemented cybersecurity safeguards.

Cyberattacks Will More Commonly Take a Multi-Pronged Approach

The cyberattacks businesses will likely face in 2025 will likely come from numerous angles, compounding the issues that organizations must be cognizant of and handle. This only makes sense. While a business is dealing with one security incident, its team could be distracted enough to let a secondary one slip past. These attacks are also likely to become more sophisticated as time passes, making it critical that the proper defenses are in place and maintained to provide the all-encompassing security coverage required to stop these diverse attacks.

Furthermore, these defenses will work more effectively if integrated as a singular platform, as threat-specific protections make a vulnerability more likely to be missed. 

In the event a business falls victim to a cybersecurity attack, such as a ransomware attack, they immediately become more likely to deal with subsequent attacks later on. This trend is especially common in cases where the organization ends up paying for the ransom to get their data back. In many cases, it’s likely that the same attackers are just exploiting networks again and again to tap them for all they are worth.

User Experience and Cybersecurity Will Need to Be Balanced Even More Carefully

Finally, many threats will continue to take advantage of users who are exhausted and incensed when the security process feels excessively intricate. If these protections are too painful to navigate, you can bet that many will find shortcuts (or cut corners themselves) to simplify their authentication processes. This is not good, as it will leave your business vulnerable to threats you have already taken steps to prevent.

In addition to educating your team on why such safeguards are necessary to implement, you should do everything you can to align your security with a user experience that is as seamless as possible to help ensure your team remains compliant with the standards you enforce. 

Working With Us Will Help Keep Your Business Secure

This is (unfortunately) not a comprehensive list of challenges businesses will face this year… Other issues and threats are bound to pop up. Many other concerns will also need to be addressed. However, businesses in Greater Pittsburgh and the Tristate Area don’t need to face these challenges alone.

By recruiting Tritek Networks, you can ensure that your organization has a team of dedicated professionals watching over your essential infrastructure on your behalf. This will help keep your business more resilient against this year’s looming threats while also providing you with operational benefits and opportunities to enhance your productivity and efficiency.

Learn more about what we can offer you and your business by reaching out to us at (877) 874-8351.