2025 is the Year of Urgency in Cybersecurity

A new year means new beginnings – except in cybersecurity. While we’re stepping into 2025, the threats to critical infrastructure, national security, and private enterprises remain, and are as dangerous as ever. Cybercrime groups are collaborating with nation-states, and legacy OT vulnerabilities are still being ignored.

This is no longer a time to prepare. It's a time to act. If we want to keep our systems, data, and infrastructure safe in 2025, there’s no more room for hesitation. Those who act swiftly, embrace innovation, and secure-by-design principles will be the ones who survive this year’s threats.?

Here’s why:

1. Threat Actors Will Likely Lead the Charge in Adopting AI Agents and Multi-Agent Systems

AI will be more than a buzzword for cybercriminals in 2025. Malicious actors will likely adopt AI agents and multi-agent systems to automate attacks, scale operations, and break through defenses at lightning speed. These actors can leverage AI's advanced capabilities to develop increasingly sophisticated attacks, quickly exploit vulnerabilities, generate highly convincing phishing content, and create malware that evades traditional detection methods. In a survey conducted by CISA, 70% say AI tips the balance in attackers' favor. This evolution in AI-powered threats not only empowers cybercriminals but also introduces vulnerabilities within AI systems themselves, as these systems rely on vast amounts of data that could be compromised.?

Security teams need to act now, embracing AI-driven tools to enhance threat detection, sharpen defense mechanisms, and stay ahead of attackers who are already leveraging these technologies. Playing catch-up will no longer be an option— the only way for organizations to combat these AI-powered attacks is by leveraging AI themselves.

2. Securing Critical Infrastructure Won’t be a Political Debate

This year, regulatory compliance will take center stage in protecting critical infrastructure in the U.S. Safeguarding systems like hospitals, water supplies, and financial institutions transcends political divisions, with cybersecurity becoming essential to national security and public safety. The UK’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill offers a model of how unified frameworks can enable faster threat detection and cross-sector protections. As 2024 demonstrated the value of compliance in strengthening security, 2025 will bring greater investment in locking down critical infrastructure, making robust regulatory standards a bipartisan imperative.

3.?Ticking Time Bombs: Legacy OT Systems Will be This Year’s Biggest National Security Threat

Aging OT devices, many designed decades ago with 20- to 30-year lifespans, represent a critical vulnerability as they connect to modern networks. These blind spots, like an old drawbridge vulnerable to hacking, pose serious risks to national security. Forescout's Vedere Labs’?OT:ICEFALL?study highlights recurring design flaws, such as hardcoded credentials and broken authentication, which underscore the lack of secure-by-design principles in OT products. While overhauling infrastructure isn’t feasible overnight, 2025 will force the issue: address OT vulnerabilities systematically with Zero Trust and security software, or wait for a catastrophic incident.

4. OT Manufacturers Will No Longer Escape Secure by Design Standards

CISA’s Secure by Design pledge has brought public and private sectors together to address critical cybersecurity gaps, with over 200 software manufacturers stepping forward voluntarily. This year, this collaborative model should extend to OT manufacturers, requiring greater accountability for securing aging devices against mounting national security threats. By working with governments and industry experts, OT manufacturers can adopt Secure by Design principles. Failure to address these vulnerabilities will leave everyone at fault when critical systems fail.

5. Your Security Stack Will Be Your Biggest Vulnerability

The trend toward tool consolidation to manage budget constraints will continue this year, but the real solution lies in unified security platforms. Unlike siloed tools that increase blind spots and administrative overhead, unified platforms streamline operations, provide holistic visibility, and enable faster detection and response. As attacks grow more sophisticated and dormant threats wait for their moment, gaps and delays caused by disparate tools are unacceptable. In 2025, organizations will see that unified platforms aren’t just efficient—they’re essential for staying ahead of evolving threats.

6. Cybercrime Will Continue to Expand as a Multibillion-Dollar Industry

The total market potential for cybercrime is expanding rapidly. While ransomware payouts have fueled this lucrative industry, threat actors have been increasingly targeting critical infrastructure due to ongoing global instability. These tensions will only embolden these criminals in the new year, making them more aggressive in their attacks. Organizations must take proactive measures to disrupt this ecosystem by improving ransomware prevention and incident response, actively sharing threat intelligence, and increasing collaboration to identify and neutralize threats before they escalate. Without action, the cybercrime market will continue to outpace the world’s cyber defenses.

7. The Rise of Crowdsourced Hacktivism Will Dominate This Year

The threat posed by crowdsourced hacktivism will intensify. As bad actors increasingly collaborate and share intelligence, they are rapidly accelerating the effectiveness, sophistication, and reach of malicious activities. These cybercriminals have moved beyond the confines of the dark web, leveraging popular platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp to openly trade tactics, share stolen data, and teach others how to replicate their exploits.

Organizations that fail to adapt their security postures to this evolving landscape risk becoming easy targets. The democratization of cyber attacks through these crowdsourced platforms means even amateur actors can now execute devastating campaigns.

Now What?

The future is here—and the stakes are higher than ever. If you’re not already embracing AI, Zero Trust, and secure-by-design principles, you’re already falling behind. The only way forward is to act now. Will you be ready for the threats of 2025, or will you be caught off guard? The time to secure?OUR?future is now.