Are you prepared for cyber threats in 2025? You may not be as protected as you think. Traversing the great internet landscape has always left individuals and businesses open to online threats, and these threats only become more prevalent as humanity’s development of new tech increases. Below, I take a look at what new threats are developing in 2025, the cost of these attacks, and what an average internet user can do to protect themselves.
Preparing for 2025: What to Expect from Cyber Threats
The internet is constantly evolving. Anyone who has spent a fair amount of time online has likely ran into at least one type of scam. While technology may be growing more advanced, many of the tricks remain the same. For example, according to PIA’s blog post, phishing is still the most popular attack for cybercriminals. However, 2025 may unveil a new wave of threats, potentially in ways never seen before.
With 2025 seeing artificial intelligence efforts expand across a variety of systems and products, so too is it expanding within the world of cybercrime. According to a report by WatchGuard, one threat that experts are taking seriously is the idea that cybercriminals will now be able to automate their entire attack chain process. With AI being able to craft images, voice, text, and more, criminals can now execute nuanced attacks with minimum effort on their end.
As advancements are made in the world of AI, so too will the threat of cyberattacks that implement this powerful tool. Unfortunately, as time marches forward, these threats will only become more nuanced. The reality of the situation is that determining what is real and what is fraud will eventually require more sophisticated tools.
Similarly, old habits die hard, especially in the world of crime. For example, ransomware is becoming more popular than ever amongst cybercriminals, with many targeting their attacks on the health industry, supply chains, and individuals. These attacks, of course, come with a cost.
Paying the Price: The Cost of Cybercrime in 2025
Along with the rise in cyber threats across the internet, the actual cost of these threats is also rising. As criminals gain access to more powerful tools, the spoils of their deeds will continue to flourish. In fact, according to Cybersecurity Ventures, the expectation is that the cost of cybercrime damages will annually rise to a staggering $10.5 trillion by 2025.
Looking back to ransomware, Cybersecurity Ventures predicts the costs of these attacks to annually rise to $265 billion by 2031. With the average cost of a data breach reaching $4.88 million in 2024, cyberattacks are becoming increasingly more expensive. Even if you are not personally the victim of an attack, the rise of these threats is certain to have an impact on select technological goods due to the rising need for cybersecurity.
In short, it’s good business for cybercriminals to follow the latest technological trends. Which means it’s important for you to learn more about how to protect yourself from such attacks.
Protecting Yourself from the Future
While the persistent threat of cyberattacks is always looming, it’s important to remember that you can protect yourself. While too much paranoia can breed an alarming and negative mindset and environment, remaining diligent will be a key factor in protecting yourself as we veer toward the future.
As cyber threats continue to advance and evolve, protective measures are also developing at an accelerated pace. For example, just as the use of artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent in the world of cybercrime, this tool is seeing more frequent use in the world of cybersecurity as well. Considering one of the most popular methods for attacks is through internet browsers, companies within this sector are remaining steadfast in keeping up with the emerging threats of the future as well.
However, what are we, the individual, to do about the rise of threats in 2025? In this case, there’s good news and bad news. As artificial intelligence remains on the rise, the need for the individual to remain critical of their online experience will increase exponentially: as the rise of deep fake technology becomes more prevalent, so too will the need to for users to parse this information become greater.
Conclusion: Maintaining Security in 2025
The need to spot bad faith actors and deep fakes will only rise, though security measures will be in place to help alleviate the issue. Users should remember to have a healthy level of suspicion while using the internet. Like in the old days, there are some basic things you can do to protect yourself, including using different passwords for different websites, avoiding opening unknown attachments, and ensuring you keep your devices as up-to-date as possible.
In terms of further defense against criminals, realize that using a VPN, good malware software and further security measures may be more important than ever. The internet will always continue to evolve, which means criminals will always evolve right along with it. Along with protecting yourself with the best tools available, staying informed of new and emerging threats will always remain a critical part of being safe online.