Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2025. Read them in this 17th annual VMblog.com series exclusive. By Cristian Rodriguez, Field CTO,
Americas, CrowdStrike
The
past year has delivered a clear warning: adversaries are evolving faster than
ever. Cloud intrusions are surging, identity-based attacks are dominating and
AI systems are emerging as prime targets. To counter the next wave of modern
threats in 2025, security teams must revolutionize their defenses, achieving
the visibility, speed and scale required to stay ahead.
Close the Gaps in Cloud Protection
With
cloud intrusions surging 75% year-over-year, securing cloud environments is now
a critical priority. Yet legacy platforms and disparate cloud point products
fall short against the growing complexity of hybrid environments. Adversaries
exploit these gaps, moving laterally between cloud and on-premises systems to
evade detection, while fragmented point solutions only make defenses more
vulnerable.
To
counter these threats in 2025, businesses must prioritize complete visibility
across their public clouds, private clouds, on-premises networks and APIs - all
managed through a unified console. A holistic security platform that integrates
runtime, posture management, identity protection and data security across
hybrid environments will be essential for detecting and stopping adversaries
before they cause damage.
Protect Identities to Stop
Cross-Domain Attacks
Identity-based
attacks have become a preferred entry point for adversaries: 75% of attacks to gain initial access are
now malware-free. Stolen credentials allow attackers to infiltrate
interconnected domains - cloud, endpoint, data and AI models - leaving minimal
footprints and creating isolated anomalies that are hard to detect.
In
2025, defending against identity attacks will require unified visibility across
the entire kill chain. Security leaders must enable cross-domain threat hunting
that connects the dots between seemingly unrelated activities, catching unusual
patterns in user behavior before they escalate. While automation plays a key
role in early detection, it cannot replace the value of human expertise and
advanced telemetry in solving the complex puzzle of cross-domain threats.
Safeguard AI Innovation
AI
is transforming industries, with its evolution accelerating across both public
and private clouds. As adversaries increasingly target AI services and large
language models (LLMs), safeguarding the integrity and performance of these
systems has become more critical than ever. The data driving these models-and
the applications they support-must be protected against sophisticated and
emerging threats.
To
secure AI innovation in the cloud, security teams must adopt specialized
technologies and services capable of monitoring AI environments, detecting
misconfigurations and addressing vulnerabilities. This effort must be
seamlessly integrated into a unified security approach that safeguards the
entire cloud estate-from infrastructure and applications to data. By doing so,
organizations can fully realize AI's transformative potential without
compromising its security.
Defend Smarter, Faster and at Scale
Today's
adversaries operate with unprecedented speed, stealth and precision, leveraging
advanced tactics to outmaneuver traditional defenses. To stay ahead,
organizations must adopt a unified security strategy that integrates identity,
endpoint and cloud protection into a single, cohesive platform. This approach
enables security teams to detect and respond to modern threats-like
cross-domain attacks-with greater speed and precision.
In
2025, security teams must embrace a new mantra: Defend smarter, faster, and at
scale. By leveraging unified security platforms, they can achieve the
visibility, automation, and agility needed to outpace adversaries and safeguard
their organization's most critical assets.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cristian Rodriguez
is the Field Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the Americas at CrowdStrike,
bringing nearly 20 years of cybersecurity expertise to help organizations build
resilient security strategies.
A recognized
thought leader in cybersecurity, Cristian educates the market on how
adversaries exploit cross-domain environments. He emphasizes the critical need
for unifying endpoint, identity, and cloud security to stop breaches.
Cristian frequently
speaks at industry events, sharing insights on emerging threats and the latest
innovations in cybersecurity.