Elastic Security's top three cybersecurity predictions for 2025

AI's expanding role in cybersecurity: From streamlining threat hunting to response automation, AI will play a pivotal role in cybersecurity and driving organisational efficiencies. Equally, threat actors have harnessed AI to their advantage, making attacks like phishing campaigns and malware development increasingly sophisticated and dramatically expanding the volume of cyber security incidents worldwide. A prominent example this year has been individuals affected by phishing attacks involving the impersonation of financial institution representatives or adversaries posing as organizations looking for staff.

Against this backdrop, leveraging AI-driven tools within security teams will be crucial for an organisation's cyber resilience. Organisations that effectively integrate AI into their cybersecurity strategies will gain a decisive edge against the rapid proliferation of threats to protect their systems. Security Teams must continually educate their peers and constituents about cybersecurity measures, further strengthening their overall security. 

Increasingly sophisticated and complex threat environments: Exposed, reused, and leaked credentials will remain a significant vulnerability in 2025, as adversarial groups exploit these to gain initial access to IT environments. The challenge of safeguarding sensitive credentials and securing access will intensify as these attacks grow more sophisticated.

The prevalence of ransomware, phishing campaigns, and spyware is expected to persist, but a notable increase in sophisticated malware campaigns, particularly trojans, is on the horizon. These attacks are likely to focus on resource exploitation, such as cryptomining and double extortion tactics targeting sensitive data. This marks a shift towards more complex and resource-intensive cyberattacks.

We also see malicious actors targeting growing cloud environments that are insufficiently secured, identifying vulnerabilities that serve as entry points for attacks. Continual monitoring will be crucial to protect against cyber attacks.

The recently introduced Australian Cyber Security Act will serve as a unified approach towards cybersecurity, strengthening the country's cyber preparedness and protecting organisations from malicious actors.  

Election and democratic integrity: As Australia heads towards the federal elections in 2025, we expect to see a rise in disinformation, deepfakes and state-sponsored hacking efforts as threat actors exploit periods of heightened uncertainty to target victims. Defenders must remain vigilant and adapt quickly to counter these evolving tactics, ensuring resilience against technical and geopolitical threats.