Deep Instinct announced the launch of its 2025 Threat Report: The Changing Face of Global Threats, which provides in-depth analysis of 2024's most dangerous cyber threats and predictions for 2025 and beyond. The report highlights the rise of AI-driven attacks, the evolution of ransomware, and the growing geopolitical influence on cyber warfare.

Research shows ransomware continues to dominate the threat landscape as AI tools enhance attack sophistication. Industry reports indicate a 30% increase in global cyber attacks compared to 2023, while Deep Instinct's analysis reveals that AI-generated phishing campaigns have grown in efficacy with advancements in reconnaissance and video and voice generation tools. The expansion of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) models has amplified the scale and complexity of these attacks, with the healthcare and financial sectors bearing the brunt. The report illustrates how ransomware groups prioritize sectors that manage critical services and sensitive data, such as the healthcare industry, leveraging operational urgency to pressure victims into paying.

"This latest Threat Report reveals that cybercriminals are not slowing down, with AI-driven attacks, advanced ransomware tactics, and state-sponsored cyber operations pushing organizations to the brink," said Yariv Fishman, CPO at Deep Instinct. "To keep up, businesses must move beyond status-quo, reactive defenses that have disappointed time and time again. The era of solely relying on detection and response is over-preemptive security, fueled by deep learning, will determine the winners in this cyber arms race."

Additional findings include the following:

AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) Fuel a New Era of Cybercrime, Underscoring the Need for Zero-Day Data Security

Today's cybercriminals are using AI and ML to churn out polymorphic and metamorphic malware,  adding to the deluge of zero-day threats organizations are facing. An alarming rise in these unknown threats leaves security teams struggling to identify and stop them.

Geopolitical Conflicts Drive Cyber Warfare

Cyber attacks surged in response to geopolitical tensions, particularly in regions affected by the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and China-Taiwan tensions. Furthermore, nation-state actors and hacktivist groups continue to leverage cyber operations to disrupt infrastructure, spread misinformation, and conduct espionage-including websites in conflict zones, such as the Gaza Now news site.

The U.S. is a Primary Ransomware Target

According to the report, the U.S. is the top target for ransomware attacks. However, there has been a noticeable shift in ransomware targeting other nations, such as France, Italy, and Austria. Several ransomware families emerged or rose in prominence in 2024, including LockBit 3.0, RansomHub, and Akira. By early 2024, Akira alone had compromised over 250 organizations across North America, Europe, and Australia, collecting over $42 million in ransom payments.

Vulnerabilities and Exploits are Rising

Industry research identified 186 known exploited vulnerabilities in 2024. Deep Instinct's analysis shows a particular area of concern is the increasing reliance on IoT devices, introducing new attack vectors as 30% of business network endpoints are now IoT-based.

As cybercriminals innovate, so must defenders. The 2025 Threat Report: The Changing Face of Global Threats highlights the urgent need for a layered prevention approach that combines deep learning models for preemptive threat prevention with a zero-day data security framework to protect sensitive data against Dark AI.

Read the full report here.