Top 10 Cybersecurity Threats 2025: How to Protect Your Data

Cybersecurity threats are getting more advanced, and 2025 is expected to bring new challenges for businesses. From ransomware to AI-powered cyberattacks and insider threats, companies face serious risks that can expose sensitive data and cause major disruptions.

Hackers are using smarter tools and finding new ways to target businesses.

In this article, we will look at the top 10 cybersecurity threats for 2025 and share simple steps organizations can take to protect their data and stay safe.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Top 10 Cybersecurity Threats
3. How to Protect Your Business From Cyberattacks
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Top 10 Cybersecurity Threats
3. How to Protect Your Business From Cyberattacks
Show Full Guide
4. The Bottom Line
5. FAQs
6. References

Top 10 Cybersecurity Threats

10. Mobile Security Threats

Mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, and wearables, have become increasingly essential productivity tools in today’s work-from-home world. However, they’re also ideal targets for cybercriminals.

For one thing, mobile devices are often lost or stolen, making them easy targets for criminals, cyber or otherwise. Consequently, confidential corporate data and personal information may end up in the hands of these bad actors and be used for malicious purposes.

Additionally, cybercriminals are using spyware developed specifically to spy on encrypted messaging applications. And these hackers are also using mobile malware to launch denial-of-service attacks.

Furthermore, new versions of operating systems for mobile devices and frequent software updates can create vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit to gain access to users’ devices and data.

9. Rise of Shadow AI

Shadow AI use, where employees use unauthorized AI tools to fill gaps or meet needs that the organization hasn’t addressed, will be a concern in 2025, according to Matti Pearce, vice president, information security, risk, and compliance at Absolute Security.

Pearce told Techopedia:

“Just as shadow IT previously required new governance approaches, CISOs will need innovative detection and monitoring techniques to uncover unauthorized AI applications that might not be directly observable on network traffic.

“Focusing on user education and providing secure, approved AI tools will be central strategies in mitigating these risks.”

8. Supply Chain Attacks

In 2025, attackers will increasingly target weaknesses in the software supply chain, including both well-known and overlooked flaws, said Joe Silva, CEO at Spektion.

“They will target gaps in how software producers secure their software development life cycles, allowing malicious components to infiltrate products and enable both targeted and opportunistic attacks,” he said.

“Criminals and non-state threat actors will increasingly employ software supply chain methodologies that had solely been the domain of sophisticated nation-states.”

Most organizational supply chains will also experience pain points like limited visibility into software risk, an overload of vulnerability data, and software sprawl as an expanding attack surface.

7. Geopolitical Threats & Russian Aggression in Cyberspace

The increase in cyberattacks has dramatically changed the geopolitical environment. Cyberattacks have become a new tool for nations using state and non-state actors to attack governments, businesses, and even individuals.

These types of cyberattacks can have significant consequences, including threatening national security, damaging the economy, and destabilizing governments.

Using cyberattacks for political purposes, known as cyberwarfare, has become a major concern for global security. These attacks can potentially cause significant damage and disruption to financial institutions, government agencies, and critical infrastructure.

With the war in Ukraine reaching a critical phase, a change of government in the US, and elections taking place in several European countries, there is a real risk of Russia-sponsored disruptive activity in 2025, said Dick O’Brien, principal intelligence analyst, Symantec threat hunter team by Broadcom.

“Russian espionage actors have a long track record of targeting critical infrastructure in Ukraine (Sandworm) and the U.S. (Dragonfly),” he said. “Recent acts of sabotage against undersea communications cables in Europe may be a prelude of what lies in store.”

6. Misuse & Exploitation of Sensitive Personal Data

Another of the top ten cybersecurity threats in 2025 is the potential misuse and exploitation of sensitive personal data.

Today, every other person is wearing health or fitness technology, said David McInerney, commercial manager of data privacy at Cassie. This could be a smartwatch tracking running routes, a ring monitoring a woman’s menstrual cycle, or a band keeping count of steps, he said.

“Whatever it may be, each device requires access to highly sensitive, personal data,” he said. “Organizations behind each device are able to track what influences users and how they respond during different times of day.”

From a privacy and security standpoint, the dangers of this access are set to grow tenfold over the coming years, McInerney said.

“As neurological enhancements become more advanced, we’ll soon all be wearing devices that can ‘read’ our emotions, target us with ads at the exact moment we’re feeling down, and track our heart rate as a result of that ‘feel good’ purchase,” he said. “I predict in the near future, we will be bombarded by targeted ads at the exact moment we’re most vulnerable to spending.”

5. Phishing & Vishing

AI has created an environment where deepfakes can easily be used for social engineering to gain initial access to networks, said Larry Schwarberg, CISSP, vice president, information security, University of Phoenix, who shared the information from his interview to IT Nerd with Techopedia.

“These types of attacks can be leveraged in many ways where typically fraudsters prey on the hearts of their victims, such as natural disasters and other significant events, where unsuspecting people want to help through donations,” he said in the blog.

In 2025, attackers will increasingly use vishing attacks to impersonate executives to trick employees into sending funds, providing access, etc., Schwarberg said.

“People are the weakest links into a network because of their desire to be helpful,” he said. “Social engineering attacks using vishing are made easier with the advances in AI and information obtained through social sites.”

4. Open-Source Crypto Stealers

Attackers will double down on open-source crypto stealers in 2025, said Ax Sharma, cybersecurity researcher at Sonatype. New protocols, such as the tea protocol with its blockchain rewards for developers, are already driving some users to abuse open-source registries to experiment with ways to earn rewards for themselves.

“However, the trend of flooding open-source registries with crypto stealers and bogus packages will likely intensify in 2025,” Sharma told Techopedia. “This mass-publishing activity threatens to throttle registries and disrupt legitimate usage, creating potential denial of services risks for developers worldwide.”

3. Insider Threats

Since Covid, when many companies quickly switched to remote work, the risk of insider threats has grown significantly, said Schwarberg in the blog.

“A malicious attacker could join an organization for intelligence collection or with the intent to gain access to other sensitive information,” he noted.

According to Schwarberg, insider threats are challenging for cybersecurity teams because they have to determine what user activity is authorized and what is not.

“Organizations must use the concept of least privilege to perform daily tasks,” he said. “Risk mitigation for insider threat[s] starts at the screening process. However, in 2024, it has been proven that even mature hiring processes can be defeated by persistent hackers.”

2. Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware groups backed by foreign governments are focusing on attacking critical infrastructure in the United States. These attacks are expected to become more frequent and advanced in 2025, said Mark Bowling, chief information security and risk officer at ExtraHop.

And various industries, including healthcare, will face greater risk of severe attacks as tensions with such countries as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea increase, he said. In addition, ransomware groups are collecting sensitive information to improve their strategies, making future attacks on critical systems more effective than ever.

Russell Teague, chief information security officer at Fortified Health Security, said that based on past and recent events throughout 2024, the healthcare sector will remain a prime target for ransomware attacks in 2025. Threat actors are increasingly combining blocking access to data with encryption and threatening to leak that data to obtain larger ransom payments.

“In 2024, ransomware attacks on healthcare systems surged by 30%, with incidents causing significant operational disruptions to patient care,” he said.

1. AI-Powered Cyber Threats

Emerging threats from generative AI are similar to traditional cyber issues but require more specialized solutions, said Mike Meyer, senior vice president, information security at Salesloft.

“For example, malicious prompt injections, while somewhat novel, resemble traditional application layer attacks — they require prompt sanitization and validation much like input validation in conventional systems,” he said.

Stephanie Schneider, cyber threat intelligence analyst at LastPass, was on the same page. She told Techopedia:

“AI, including large language models and deepfake technologies, will become central in enabling more convincing social engineering, fraudulent schemes, and account takeover attacks, intensifying the need for advanced identity verification and fraud detection.”

Although AI-generated phishing attempts, e.g., emails, voice calls, deepfakes, etc., may be more convincing than their traditional counterparts, the defenses are the same: user training, strong detection tools and active filtering systems, Meyer added.

“While the fundamentals are still key, organizations must understand these age-old risks in the new light of generative AI, and ensure their controls are appropriately modernized,” he said.

AI is making it much easier for cybercriminals to create advanced phishing scams, such as deepfake voice calls or highly personalized scam emails, said Shrav Mehta, CEO and founder of Secureframe.

“But AI is also enhancing our defensive capabilities,” he said. “We’re seeing organizations leverage AI to automate security control monitoring and detect anomalous patterns that could indicate compromise. The key is moving from reactive to proactive security measures, especially when it comes to employee security awareness training and vendor risk management.”

How to Protect Your Business From Cyberattacks

The rapid advancement of technology has led to a significant increase in cybersecurity problems. However, there are a number of mitigation strategies companies can implement to protect their systems and data from cyberattacks.

• Implementing strong password policies: One of the most essential steps companies can take to protect their data is to enforce strong password policies. This includes requiring employees to create strong and unique passwords, change them regularly, and use multi-factor authentication for added security.
• Educating employees: One of the best ways to protect against cyber threats is to educate employees about cybersecurity best practices. This includes training them to create strong passwords, install VPNs, identify phishing scams, and handle sensitive information.
• Encrypting data: To protect their sensitive data, organizations should encrypt it, whether it’s in transit or at rest. That way, even if threat actors access the data, they won’t be able to read it.
• Keeping systems and software up-to-date: Companies must regularly update their operating systems and software on every device, i.e., computers, tablets, mobile devices, and wearables. This includes updating web browsers, anti-malware and antivirus software, and all the applications employees use to do their jobs.
• Monitoring and analyzing network traffic: Organizations should implement intrusion detection and prevention systems to monitor and analyze their network traffic for suspicious activity.
• Using multi-factor authentication: With multi-factor authentication, there is an additional layer of security because it mandates that employees provide additional information, such as codes sent to their mobile devices, to access their accounts. This helps prevent threat actors from infiltrating systems and accessing data if passwords are compromised.
• Monitoring and auditing third-party systems: Organizations should regularly monitor and audit the systems and networks of third-party vendors and contractors to ensure they comply with the security requirements outlined in their contracts. This can help identify any potential vulnerabilities or breaches in their systems.
• Implementing a cybersecurity policy: It’s critical for organizations to have formal cybersecurity policies in place that describe the best practices employees must follow, along with the consequences for not following them.
• Conducting regular security audits: It’s crucial for organizations to regularly perform security audits so they can detect any weaknesses in their systems and processes. By doing so, they can take the initiative to implement measures to improve their cybersecurity practices and protect their sensitive corporate data.

The Bottom Line

As cyber threats continue to increase in 2025, businesses must stay alert and take steps to protect their networks and their data.

Understanding the top cybersecurity risks, such as ransomware and AI-powered attacks, is the first step in protecting sensitive data and business operations.

By training employees, keeping security systems up to date, and encrypting their data, organizations can build strong defenses against IT security threats.

FAQs