Paul Delahunty’s Cyber Security Predictions for 2025
Stryve CISO Paul Delahunty breaks down his predictions for how Cyber Security will be affected in the coming year.
With the new year ahead of us Stryve CISO Paul Delahunty gives us his forecast for the coming year, what hot button issues will arise, the focus for future regulations and what will be on the agenda for cybersecurity.
The Influence of AI in Cyber Attacks Will Increase
OK…. so this isn’t really news. But, as AI goes more mainstream in terms of both its use as a defensive an offensive weapon, I think we will see a huge learning curve for both sides in how to maximise its potential. The problem for the defenders, is that they need to get it right all the time. Therefore, I believe we will see increased and more effective attacks due to hackers taking advantage of imperfect implementations of the new AI technology.
Attacks on Critical Infrastructure Will Increase
The geopolitical landscape is becoming ever more unstable. As the war in Ukraine deepens, and the sides involved get more desperate, I expect to see more attacks on the West’s critical infrastructure as retaliation for its deeper involvement in the war by way of support for Ukraine. We have seen how even a small hiccup in the logistics network (the 2021 Suez Canal blockage) can grind the world economy to a standstill, and we have also seen how a small upgrade error (CrowdStrike) had a global impact.
It seems like a very smart move for a nation-state looking for ways to strike out with maximum impact, yet, stopping short of an act of war.
More Regulation…. in Particular for AI
Probably not a huge surprise either, but I do expect that AI will be regulated further by the EU in 2025. We have already had the AI Act. However, this is merely a toe in the water. As we’ve seen with other regulations, once the ball is rolling, it tends to gather pace. And AI is developing at such a pace that stricter regulation will not be a nice to have, but rather a necessity.
The Rise of Deep Fakes
Sticking with AI-themed threats, I also believe that deepfakes will be more prevalent in 2025. We’ve already seen the potential of this technology from a deepfake scam in Hong Kong last February. With AI improving all the time, it makes sense that this will be utilised more by hackers. Indeed, with deepfakes becoming more and more convincing, it does raise questions over the continued viability of certain types of biometrics being used for authentication and authorisation.
EU will Strongly Push Data Sovereignty
The geopolitical landscape has not been this uncertain for over a generation (in my opinion). War is continuing to rage in Ukraine, with no sign of stopping. The Middle East is a tinderbox, with the continuing war in Gaza and now Lebanon, and the uncertain situation in Syria. Trump is back in power in the US, and the governments of the EU powerhouses of France and Germany are in turmoil, with far-right agendas again rearing their heads across Europe.
With all that in mind, I believe the EU will take further steps to insulate itself and ensure its data security and data sovereignty.