As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to look ahead to 2025 and the cybersecurity challenges, predictions, and trends that will shape the next 12 to 24 months. The team at 12Port has compiled a list of the cybersecurity trends we are following and our predictions.
1. Shifting Political and Business Priorities Heighten Cybersecurity Pressures
As cyber-attacks grow in both volume and sophistication, the shifting global political landscape will drive state-sponsored actors to escalate covert operations, such as cyber espionage and attacks on governments, businesses and critical infrastructure companies. Meanwhile, increasing focus on economic and domestic issues—like tariffs, inflation, and immigration—may push cybersecurity to the back burner. This shift will put more pressure on corporate IT, managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs) to safeguard both corporate and government digital infrastructures. Proactive threat detection, layered defenses, containment strategies, and strong incident response plans will be crucial.
2. Growing Expectation of Zero Trust Architectures
The increasing complexity of enterprise ecosystems, with distributed workforces and hybrid environments, has underscored the need for Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). Remote employees, MSPs, contractors, individual sub-contractors and partners all utilize multiple cloud, on-premises, and hybrid systems. This drives interest in a zero trust approach to network security, where every network component is protected under the assumption that some part of the network may be attacked, breached or untrusted. As organizations adopt this perspective in 2025, they are not only rethinking their own network security strategies but also expecting the same commitment from their vendors.
3. Securing AI Backend Infrastructure Against Cyber Threats
The rapid development of AI applications across all industries brings unprecedented demand for computing power, creating a new target for cyber attackers. AI backend infrastructures or AI stacks—comprising vast arrays of servers and resources—will become a target for cyber espionage and exploitation. Threat actors may seek to hijack these resources for malicious purposes, such as reusing computing power, launching the devices for other attacks or stealing proprietary data. In addition, the unique nature of the AI infrastructure may facilitate the development of new attack methods. Protecting such a large number of newly provisioned computing resources will emerge as a critical priority. Companies will need to deploy advanced monitoring and defense mechanisms tailored to the unique characteristics of AI stacks. Segmenting, isolating and securing individual computing nodes within the AI infrastructure will be critical.
4. Technical Debt Will Lead to SaaS Applications Moving Back Behind Firewalls
Most enterprise software companies and their customers have unpatched or known vulnerabilities that they are going to patch “right away.” This technical debt, with plans to resolve it later, can impact cybersecurity. Attackers will exploit these weaknesses faster than ever, leveraging AI tools to identify and execute attacks with lightning speed. This will compel organizations to put more applications back behind the corporate firewall in order to mitigate risk and give IT teams more breathing room for maintenance of critical line of business applications. This inconvenience will start to become a requirement for SaaS applications provided by third parties. It won’t be good enough to be SOC and ISO compliant, rather you will have to physically or virtually segment access to these applications to keep from being breached.
5. The Dual Role of AI in Cybersecurity
AI will continue to be both an asset and a weapon in the cybersecurity arena:
- For Defense: AI-powered tools will revolutionize threat monitoring, detection and response. Leveraging vast amounts of real-time data, AI defenses will offer unparalleled speed, precision and automation in identifying and neutralizing threats.
- For Attack: Cybercriminals will use AI to craft highly targeted and sophisticated attacks, including adaptive malware and phishing campaigns designed to evade detection. By analyzing real-time data, these malicious AI systems will create thousands of malware and ransomware agents targeted for specific organizations.
6. The New Era of AI-Driven Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks will become more advanced and convincing, thanks to AI-generated content, designed to mimic real people in both video and audio output. Gone are the days of poorly written emails and link redirects. Over the next few years, realistic phishing scams could bring an AI generated recording of your manager, complete with personalized details to gain your trust, requesting credentials.
How to Prepare for Cybersecurity Challenges in 2025
The cybersecurity landscape in 2025 will be defined by heightened risks and transformative technologies. While it might be an unsettling thought, organizations should take a security approach that a breach has already taken place and work to minimize the impact. Organizations must adopt forward-thinking strategies, including Zero Trust frameworks and microsegmentation to stay resilient. Segment network access, use data encryption (at rest and in motion) and analyze your network to detect and respond quickly to threats.
Is your organization ready to navigate these challenges? Contact us today to learn how 12Port Horizon microsegmentation software can help secure your network and mitigate cybersecurity risks in 2025.