Top 10 cyber security predictions for 2025, according to Check Point Software Technologies

The Philippines is facing a significant cyber security challenge, with organizations experiencing a substantial number of cyberattacks in the last 6 months. On the average, an organization in the Philippines is attacked an average of 4,003 times per week, exceeding the APAC regional average of 2,870 attacks. In the manufacturing industry, an organization is attacked 9,146 times per week on the average. This is significantly higher than the regional average of 2,632. Finance/banking industry received 2,968 attacks per week per organization, surpassing the APAC regional average of 2,170. 

These alarming statistics underscore the need for organizations in the Philippines to prioritize cyber security and invest in robust protection measures to safeguard their network and data. For organizations planning their cyber security strategy, global leader in cyber security, Check Point Software Technologies, has consolidated the top 10 cyber security predictions for 2025.

1. Ransomware Evolution: Ransomware attacks will become more sophisticated, using AI and automation to increase speed and precision. These enhanced techniques will allow ransomware to spread rapidly across networks, making early detection more critical than ever. The rise of ransomware targeting supply chains is particularly concerning, as attacks on critical vendors or partners can have a cascading effect on entire industries. In response, businesses are expected to turn more to cyber insurance to mitigate the financial impact of such attacks, while governments will enforce stricter regulatory standards. Compliance and reporting will become non-negotiable as ransomware continues to be a top threat.
2. Surge of AI-Powered Attacks: The integration of AI in cyberattacks will become more prevalent, making attacks more scalable and sophisticated. These AI-enhanced threats take many forms, from phishing emails generated with flawless grammar and personal details to highly adaptive malware that can learn and evade detection systems. This next generation of phishing attacks will leverage AI’s ability to learn from real-time data, adapting in response to evolving security measures, thus making detection even more challenging. Generative AI will also enable much larger scale operations. For example, cyber criminals can deploy AI to launch thousands of targeted phishing attacks simultaneously, customizing each one for maximum effect. This allows even smaller criminal groups to run large-scale operations without requiring advanced technical expertise leading to a democratization of cyber crime.
3. Rampant AI Misuse leading to Increased Data Breaches: One of the biggest risks in 2025 will be data breaches caused by employees unintentionally sharing sensitive information with AI platforms like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. AI systems can process massive amounts of data, and when this data is fed into external AI tools, the risk of exposure increases dramatically. For example, employees might input sensitive financial data into an AI tool to generate a report or analysis without realising that this data could be stored and potentially accessed by unauthorized users. 
4. AI-Driven SOC Co-Pilots: AI-driven SOC “co-pilots” will be a game-changer in how security operations centers (SOCs) function. These AI assistants will help teams manage the overwhelming amount of data from firewalls, system logs, vulnerability reports, and threat intelligence. With more AI-powered tools integrated into SOC dashboards, security professionals can automate critical threat-hunting tasks, reduce false positives, and respond to incidents more efficiently.
5. Quantum Computing, A Looming Threat: Quantum computing, though still in its early stages, represents a significant risk to traditional encryption methods. As quantum technology advances, it has the potential to crack encryption standards that are currently considered secure. The risk is especially concerning for industries that rely on encryption to protect sensitive data, such as finance and healthcare. Traditional encryption methods like RSA and DES are vulnerable to quantum-based decryption, which can break encryption keys exponentially faster than classical computers. While practical quantum attacks are still years away, the time to prepare is now. Experts recommend that organizations begin transitioning to post-quantum cryptography, which is designed to withstand quantum decryption.
6. Social Media as a Cyber Crime Playground: With billions of users worldwide, social media platforms have become a primary target for cyber criminals. The combination of social media and generative AI (GenAI) will enable even more sophisticated and dangerous attacks, leveraging personal data and AI-generated content to craft highly targeted scams, impersonations, and fraud.  Key concerns include:

• AI-Generated impersonations: Criminals will use AI to mimic the behaviour, appearance, and voice of individuals, making it harder to distinguish between real interactions and artificial ones. 
• Social Media Exploitation: Criminals will exploit social media platforms not just to steal personal information but also to manipulate users into compromising corporate security, especially on professional networks like LinkedIn.
• Rise of Social Engineering: AI will play a crucial role in crafting highly convincing impersonations, enabling large-scale social engineering campaigns with unprecedented reach and sophistication.

7. The Era of an AI-Driven CISO: The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) will face growing challenges driven by rapid AI adoption, hybrid-cloud environments, and increasing regulatory pressure. As businesses push for AI to gain a competitive edge, CISOs evolve to balance the speed of innovation against the need for secure-by-design implementations. This tension may lead to a rise in AI-related data breaches, as security is often sacrificed for delivery speed. CISOs will also be expected to articulate the risks of AI and emerging technologies to boards with this shift requiring them to master complex technologies while translating those risks into business terms for leadership. At the same time, hybrid-cloud infrastructures will become more prevalent, requiring CISOs to extend their DevOps capabilities to manage security across both public and private cloud environments. The need for Corporate Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance will be essential as their accountability grows.
8. Cloud and IoT Security Challenges: As more organisations migrate to the cloud and adopt Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the attack surface continues to expand, making it harder for organisations to secure their networks. By 2025, over 90% of enterprises will operate in multi-cloud environments, and IoT devices are projected to exceed 32 billion globally. While cloud service providers offer robust security features, the complexity of securing multiple cloud platforms introduces vulnerabilities, especially when configurations are mismanaged or poorly monitored. IoT security will be a major concern as attackers exploit the growing number of interconnected devices. Many IoT devices, from smart home systems to industrial sensors, lack adequate security measures, making them attractive targets for cyber criminals . The rise of IoT will inevitably drive the need for scalable, secure cloud storage, to efficiently manage massive data generation, real-time processing, centralised management, enhanced security, and cost-effective scalability.
9. Cyber Criminals Poised to Exploit the Growing Cyber Security Talent Gap: By 2025, the worsening shortage of cyber security professionals will significantly impact organisations’ ability to defend against increasingly complex cyber threats. Despite continued investment in a growing number of security products, the lack of skilled experts to manage and integrate these tools will create a fragmented, inefficient security posture. The reliance on too many vendors without adequate in-house expertise will leave organisations vulnerable to attack, as their defences become harder to manage and less effective. Cyber criminals will exploit these gaps, targeting weaknesses created by the overcomplicated security environments, making businesses more susceptible to breaches and financial losses.

As we approach 2025, the cyber security landscape will be shaped by emerging threats including AI-powered attacks, quantum computing threats and growing social media vulnerabilities.

To stay ahead of these challenges, organizations need to invest in AI-driven defenses, transition to quantum-safe encryption, and adopt a Zero Trust approach to cloud and IoT security.

Moreover, businesses must prepare for a stricter regulatory environment and the increasing necessity of cyber insurance. The rapid evolution of cybercrime demands adaptability and companies that fail to evolve risk becoming the next victim.