Prediction 1: AI-powered social engineering attacks will surge and fuel ransomware campaigns
In 2025, threat actors will increasingly use generative AI (GenAI) to conduct more effective social engineering attacks. A top emerging AI-driven trend is voice phishing (vishing). With the proliferation of GenAI-based tooling, initial access broker groups will increasingly leverage AI-generated voices that sound shockingly realistic, even adopting local accents and dialects to deceive victims.
These attacks will aim to trick employees into granting access to corporate environments in order to exfiltrate data and deploy ransomware. Ransomware attacks will become both more convincing and difficult to detect, underscoring the need for AI-powered zero trust security measures.
Sophisticated ransomware groups will shift away from large-scale, indiscriminate attacks and instead focus on low-volume, high-impact campaigns in 2025. These calculated attacks, modeled by groups like Dark Angels in 2024, will prioritize focusing on individual companies, stealing vast amounts of data without encrypting files, and evading media and law enforcement scrutiny. Threat actors are likely to take a three-pronged approach—combining social engineering (particularly vishing), ransomware, and data exfiltration—to amplify extortion leverage.
Prediction 3: Critical sectors will face persistent targeting by ransomware groups
Manufacturing, healthcare, education, and energy will remain primary targets for ransomware, with no slowdown in attacks expected in 2025. Critical infrastructure and susceptibility to operational disruptions make these sectors particularly attractive to cybercriminals. The ThreatLabz 2024 Ransomware Report revealed that the energy sector saw a 500% year-over-year spike in ransomware, while manufacturing, healthcare, and education were among the top 5 most targeted industries—trends that we expect will persist in the year ahead.
Prediction 4: SEC regulations will drive increased cyber incident transparency
With the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandating stricter cybersecurity incident reporting, 2025 will see an increase in organizations disclosing ransomware incidents and payouts. Organizations will no longer be able to hide ransomware incidents from the public, which will (hopefully) drive a culture of transparency and accountability. While this exposes businesses to repetitional risk, it will encourage stronger, proactive security practices defenses as companies work to avoid public scrutiny and legal consequences.
Prediction 5: Ransomware payouts will rise with the times
In 2025, ransom demands are expected to grow even higher as cybercriminals adopt more collaborative approaches to maximize profits. The ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model will continue to evolve with cybercrime groups specializing in designated attack tactics and stages. These sophisticated profit-sharing models will drive more efficient and profitable ransomware campaigns, leading to higher ransom demands across industries.
Prediction 6: High-volume data exfiltration ransomware attacks will be on the rise
Attacks that exfiltrate large amounts of data, including more encryption-less incidents, will increase significantly in the year ahead. This trend, which started gaining momentum in 2022, sees threat actors focusing solely on exfiltrating data without encrypting systems. The approach allows for quicker, opportunistic operations and capitalizes on the fear of sensitive data being released to coerce victims into paying ransoms. It underscores a continuous shift in ransomware strategies toward more efficient and high-impact methods.
Prediction 7:
International collaboration against cybercrime organizations will build upon existing efforts
Law enforcement and private industry will continue to collaborate in efforts to combat ransomware attacks, such as disrupting major initial access brokers and ransomware groups. International collaboration will become increasingly vital as global interconnectedness grows, making it easier for cybercriminals to operate transnationally. By sharing intelligence and expertise, these coordinated actions will more effectively disrupt global ransomware networks. Zscaler ThreatLabz has been at the forefront and instrumental in providing technical assistance for several of these operations over the past year.
How to combat ransomware in 2025:
As ransomware evolves, organizations must adopt proactive defense strategies to stay ahead of emerging tactics. Zscaler ThreatLabz recommends the following key actions:
Fight AI with AI: As threat actors use AI to create more effective, personalized campaigns, organizations must counter ransomware threats with AI-powered zero trust security that detects and mitigates these threats.
Adopt a zero trust architecture: A zero trust cloud security platform stops ransomware at every stage of the attack cycle:
Minimizing the attack surface: Replacing exploitable VPN and firewall architectures with a zero trust architecture hides users, applications, and devices behind a cloud proxy, making them invisible and undiscoverable from the threats on the internet.
Preventing compromise: TLS/SSL inspection, browser isolation, advanced sandboxing, and policy-driven access controls prevent access to malicious websites and detect unknown threats. This removes the possibility of accessing the corporate network, reducing the risk of initial compromise.
Eliminating lateral movement: Leveraging user-to-app (and app-to-app) segmentation, deception, and identity threat detection and response (ITDR), allows users to securely connect directly to applications, not the network, eliminating lateral movement risk.
Stopping data loss: Inline data loss prevention measures, combined with full inspection, thwarts attempts at data theft. Hence I can say we must have AI-powered zero trust security architectures implemented on our cybersecurity platforms in 2025.
Search for a product comparison in AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms
The other important reason is that we can implement AI-based LLMs and the LLM Guardrails like ethical guardrails, compliance guardrails, contextual guardrails, security guardrails and adaptive guardrails to the AI-based Cybersecurity Platforms. AI LLMs is very important to be implemented in the AI driven cybersecurity platforms.
The most important reason is that AI-based cybersecurity platforms deliver automated threat detection and threat remediation capabilities. Currently, this is what all companies need.
It's important because the attack nowadays is weaponed with the AI (RAAS is one of the example). If you would like to defense it the old way, then it is dead-end. The best way is to use AI against the AI.
@BrytonYang We must have AI-powered zero trust cybersecurity platforms that detects and mitigates even AI-powered threats. I can conclude that we must adopt a zero trust security architecture in 2025 to prevent AI based threats.
The Cybersecurity Platforms use security services for their data protection and these security services must be AI Powered to provide the highest level of security across the cybersecurity platforms. AI provide intelligent automation for the strongest security providing protection from dangerous web-based and internet threats. We can even use AI Powered security guardrails for cybersecurity platforms even to protect the cybersecurity services used by the cybersecurity platforms. The companies must adhere end-to-end AI security across the cybersecurity platforms. These days, Cybersecurity and AI are just like bones and muscles to each other.
AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms are crucial for today’s companies due to their adaptability and efficiency. These systems leverage advanced algorithms to detect and prevent threats in real-time, ensuring continuous safeguarding of digital assets. Key aspects to look for include:
Real-time threat detection
Scalability to handle growing data
Automated incident response
Behavioral analysis capabilities
Machine learning integration
The importance of AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms lies in their ability to process vast amounts of data faster than traditional systems. Cyber threats are evolving, making it essential for businesses to adopt advanced solutions to stay ahead. These platforms offer real-time threat detection and response, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches and financial loss. With machine learning, they adapt and learn from new threats, ensuring a higher level of security without manual intervention. Enterprises can protect sensitive information more effectively by using AI-driven solutions.
AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms also provide scalability, which is crucial as companies grow and accumulate more data. This ability to scale ensures that security measures remain robust regardless of the company’s size. Automated incident response systems reduce the response time and mitigate potential damage by instantly addressing security breaches. Furthermore, these platforms use behavioral analysis to identify patterns and anomalies, which helps in predicting and preventing attacks. The integration of AI into cybersecurity empowers companies to fortify their defenses continuously, highlighting the platforms' undeniable importance in maintaining a secure digital environment.
AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms enhance network defenses by utilizing machine learning to detect threats in real-time, adapting to evolving cyberattacks with scalability and improved accuracy. These solutions automate threat detection and response, reducing the burden on security teams. Leveraging advanced algorithms, these platforms offer proactive defense mechanisms against sophisticated threats. They analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns that indicate potential breaches....
Top ransomware predictions for 2025
Prediction 1: AI-powered social engineering attacks will surge and fuel ransomware campaigns
In 2025, threat actors will increasingly use generative AI (GenAI) to conduct more effective social engineering attacks. A top emerging AI-driven trend is voice phishing (vishing). With the proliferation of GenAI-based tooling, initial access broker groups will increasingly leverage AI-generated voices that sound shockingly realistic, even adopting local accents and dialects to deceive victims.
These attacks will aim to trick employees into granting access to corporate environments in order to exfiltrate data and deploy ransomware. Ransomware attacks will become both more convincing and difficult to detect, underscoring the need for AI-powered zero trust security measures.
Prediction 2: Ransomware threat actors will adopt highly targeted attack strategies
Sophisticated ransomware groups will shift away from large-scale, indiscriminate attacks and instead focus on low-volume, high-impact campaigns in 2025. These calculated attacks, modeled by groups like Dark Angels in 2024, will prioritize focusing on individual companies, stealing vast amounts of data without encrypting files, and evading media and law enforcement scrutiny. Threat actors are likely to take a three-pronged approach—combining social engineering (particularly vishing), ransomware, and data exfiltration—to amplify extortion leverage.
Prediction 3: Critical sectors will face persistent targeting by ransomware groups
Manufacturing, healthcare, education, and energy will remain primary targets for ransomware, with no slowdown in attacks expected in 2025. Critical infrastructure and susceptibility to operational disruptions make these sectors particularly attractive to cybercriminals. The ThreatLabz 2024 Ransomware Report revealed that the energy sector saw a 500% year-over-year spike in ransomware, while manufacturing, healthcare, and education were among the top 5 most targeted industries—trends that we expect will persist in the year ahead.
Prediction 4: SEC regulations will drive increased cyber incident transparency
With the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandating stricter cybersecurity incident reporting, 2025 will see an increase in organizations disclosing ransomware incidents and payouts. Organizations will no longer be able to hide ransomware incidents from the public, which will (hopefully) drive a culture of transparency and accountability. While this exposes businesses to repetitional risk, it will encourage stronger, proactive security practices defenses as companies work to avoid public scrutiny and legal consequences.
Prediction 5: Ransomware payouts will rise with the times
In 2025, ransom demands are expected to grow even higher as cybercriminals adopt more collaborative approaches to maximize profits. The ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model will continue to evolve with cybercrime groups specializing in designated attack tactics and stages. These sophisticated profit-sharing models will drive more efficient and profitable ransomware campaigns, leading to higher ransom demands across industries.
Prediction 6: High-volume data exfiltration ransomware attacks will be on the rise
Attacks that exfiltrate large amounts of data, including more encryption-less incidents, will increase significantly in the year ahead. This trend, which started gaining momentum in 2022, sees threat actors focusing solely on exfiltrating data without encrypting systems. The approach allows for quicker, opportunistic operations and capitalizes on the fear of sensitive data being released to coerce victims into paying ransoms. It underscores a continuous shift in ransomware strategies toward more efficient and high-impact methods.
Prediction 7:
International collaboration against cybercrime organizations will build upon existing efforts
Law enforcement and private industry will continue to collaborate in efforts to combat ransomware attacks, such as disrupting major initial access brokers and ransomware groups. International collaboration will become increasingly vital as global interconnectedness grows, making it easier for cybercriminals to operate transnationally. By sharing intelligence and expertise, these coordinated actions will more effectively disrupt global ransomware networks. Zscaler ThreatLabz has been at the forefront and instrumental in providing technical assistance for several of these operations over the past year.
How to combat ransomware in 2025:
As ransomware evolves, organizations must adopt proactive defense strategies to stay ahead of emerging tactics. Zscaler ThreatLabz recommends the following key actions:
Fight AI with AI: As threat actors use AI to create more effective, personalized campaigns, organizations must counter ransomware threats with AI-powered zero trust security that detects and mitigates these threats.
Adopt a zero trust architecture: A zero trust cloud security platform stops ransomware at every stage of the attack cycle:
Minimizing the attack surface: Replacing exploitable VPN and firewall architectures with a zero trust architecture hides users, applications, and devices behind a cloud proxy, making them invisible and undiscoverable from the threats on the internet.
Preventing compromise: TLS/SSL inspection, browser isolation, advanced sandboxing, and policy-driven access controls prevent access to malicious websites and detect unknown threats. This removes the possibility of accessing the corporate network, reducing the risk of initial compromise.
Eliminating lateral movement: Leveraging user-to-app (and app-to-app) segmentation, deception, and identity threat detection and response (ITDR), allows users to securely connect directly to applications, not the network, eliminating lateral movement risk.
Stopping data loss: Inline data loss prevention measures, combined with full inspection, thwarts attempts at data theft. Hence I can say we must have AI-powered zero trust security architectures implemented on our cybersecurity platforms in 2025.
The other important reason is that we can implement AI-based LLMs and the LLM Guardrails like ethical guardrails, compliance guardrails, contextual guardrails, security guardrails and adaptive guardrails to the AI-based Cybersecurity Platforms. AI LLMs is very important to be implemented in the AI driven cybersecurity platforms.
The most important reason is that AI-based cybersecurity platforms deliver automated threat detection and threat remediation capabilities. Currently, this is what all companies need.
It's important because the attack nowadays is weaponed with the AI (RAAS is one of the example). If you would like to defense it the old way, then it is dead-end. The best way is to use AI against the AI.
@BrytonYang We must have AI-powered zero trust cybersecurity platforms that detects and mitigates even AI-powered threats. I can conclude that we must adopt a zero trust security architecture in 2025 to prevent AI based threats.
The Cybersecurity Platforms use security services for their data protection and these security services must be AI Powered to provide the highest level of security across the cybersecurity platforms. AI provide intelligent automation for the strongest security providing protection from dangerous web-based and internet threats. We can even use AI Powered security guardrails for cybersecurity platforms even to protect the cybersecurity services used by the cybersecurity platforms. The companies must adhere end-to-end AI security across the cybersecurity platforms. These days, Cybersecurity and AI are just like bones and muscles to each other.
AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms are crucial for today’s companies due to their adaptability and efficiency. These systems leverage advanced algorithms to detect and prevent threats in real-time, ensuring continuous safeguarding of digital assets. Key aspects to look for include:
The importance of AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms lies in their ability to process vast amounts of data faster than traditional systems. Cyber threats are evolving, making it essential for businesses to adopt advanced solutions to stay ahead. These platforms offer real-time threat detection and response, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches and financial loss. With machine learning, they adapt and learn from new threats, ensuring a higher level of security without manual intervention. Enterprises can protect sensitive information more effectively by using AI-driven solutions.
AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms also provide scalability, which is crucial as companies grow and accumulate more data. This ability to scale ensures that security measures remain robust regardless of the company’s size. Automated incident response systems reduce the response time and mitigate potential damage by instantly addressing security breaches. Furthermore, these platforms use behavioral analysis to identify patterns and anomalies, which helps in predicting and preventing attacks. The integration of AI into cybersecurity empowers companies to fortify their defenses continuously, highlighting the platforms' undeniable importance in maintaining a secure digital environment.