New Year, New Challenges: Identity Security Resolutions for 2025

The start of a new year is always an opportunity for reflection and goal-setting—whether personally or for an organization. It’s a chance to envision your goals and consider what habits, strategies, or approaches to start or stop. For organizations, this means identifying outdated practices and embracing new, innovative, and more efficient solutions.

As we step into 2025, it’s the perfect time to evaluate and strengthen your approach to identity security, ensuring you’re prepared to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving threat landscape. With the rise of advanced persistent threats (APTs), the growing sophistication of ransomware attacks, and the accelerating adoption of AI technologies, identity security is no longer just a critical component of your defense strategy—it’s the cornerstone.

The recent cybersecurity incident involving the U.S. Treasury Department highlights the critical need for robust identity security measures. This breach, attributed to a state-sponsored threat actor, exposed the vulnerabilities in today’s interconnected systems, emphasizing the importance of securing human and machine identities. It is a stark reminder that staying ahead of increasingly sophisticated threat adversaries demands proactive and comprehensive defense strategies.

So, as we kick off the new year, here are three key identity security resolutions for 2025:

1. Harness AI to Scale Identity Security, but also Protect AI Tools

The adoption of AI-driven tools is reshaping industries, and cybersecurity is no exception. As organizations embrace AI, they must also prepare for AI-enabled threats, including adversarial machine learning and automated attack strategies. In addition, securing AI agents and models is critical to prevent exploitation and ensure the integrity of AI-driven processes. ?To stay ahead, organizations should not only leverage AI to enhance threat detection, streamline workflows, and deliver actionable insights, but also invest in securing the access that AI tools have into your enterprise.? Securing the identities and access that AI capabilities will be using should be a top priority in 2025. AI can enable organizations to scale their identity security efforts efficiently and ensure that their defenses evolve in line with emerging threats, but it can also be the weapon the adversaries use if not secured effectively.

2. Strengthen Resilience Against Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

APTs continue to evolve, targeting organizations with precision and persistence. These attacks often exploit privileged credentials to move laterally within networks and access sensitive data. To combat these threats, organizations must adopt a Zero Trust approach, ensuring that every identity—human and machine—is continuously authenticated and monitored. By implementing robust identity security measures, such as Privileged Access Management (PAM), Identity Governance and Administration (IGA), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM), and Access Controls, organizations can minimize their attack surface and enforce least privilege across their entire infrastructure. This comprehensive approach not only strengthens security but also ensures compliance and governance across all identity and access management processes, safeguarding both data and critical systems.

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3. ?Stay One Step Ahead of Ransomware Attacks Ransomware attacks have reached new levels of sophistication, with cybercriminals employing double and triple extortion tactics. These attacks often begin with compromised credentials, highlighting the urgent need for robust identity security. Organizations must control access to critical systems and automate privilege elevation workflows. Technologies that provide real-time insights into potential vulnerabilities enable organizations to proactively address risks before they are exploited. These solutions can significantly reduce the likelihood of a ransomware breach and minimize its impact.

Looking Ahead: A Collaborative Approach to Security

Identity security is a shared responsibility. In 2025, organizations must prioritize collaboration across teams, technologies, and partners to build a unified defense. Delinea is committed to working alongside our customers and partners to address the ever-changing threat landscape with innovative solutions and expert guidance.

As you set your goals for the new year, consider making identity security the centerpiece of your strategy. With Delinea 's leadership and AI-driven capabilities, you can confidently navigate the challenges of 2025 and beyond, ensuring that your organization remains secure, resilient, and prepared for the future.

Let’s make 2025 a year of strengthened security and shared success. Together, we can build a safer digital world.