iTWire

Google Cloud is released has release its 2025 Cybersecurity Forecast , deliver a data – drive analysis of the trend shape the cybersecurity landscape in the come year .

The report, compiled by industry-leading experts from Google Cloud Security, Mandiant, Google Threat Intelligence, and VirusTotal, includes insights from prominent leaders such as Sunil Potti, VP/GM, Google Cloud Security; Sandra Joyce, VP of Google Threat Intelligence; Charles Carmakal, Mandiant CTO; and Phil Venables, Google Cloud CISO. Designed to help cybersecurity teams anticipate and respond to the rapidly evolving threats of 2025, this report details emerging trends and geopolitical developments affecting organizational resilience worldwide.

AI-driven Threats on the Rise

The report highlights the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence by cyber adversaries. Malicious actors are expected to leverage AI and large language models (LLMs) to automate phishing, social engineering, and even identity theft, enhancing their capacity for effective attacks. These technologies will allow attackers to operate on a larger scale, refining deepfakes for fraud and bypassing standard identity verification systems. As threat actors experiment with AI-driven tools and seek access to LLMs with limited security guardrails, enterprises face new challenges in maintaining robust defenses against these AI-assisted attacks.

The Next phase of AI in Security

Google Cloud Security leaders predict 2025 will mark a significant transition toward semi-autonomous security operations. AI is already streamlining workflows by summarizing reports, managing vast datasets, and assisting in real-time tasks, enabling security teams to prioritize higher-risk threats. This semi-autonomous approach will combine AI capabilities with human expertise, allowing for more efficient triaging and threat mitigation. Sunil Potti, VP/GM of Google Cloud Security, describes this shift as “the second phase of AI in security,” moving closer to a future of near-autonomous cyber defence.

JAPAC: A Growing Target for Cyber Attacks

The 2025 forecast underscores increased cyber activity in the JAPAC (Japan-Asia-Pacific) region, which has become a hotbed for cryptocurrency heists, state-sponsored espionage, and organised cybercrime innovation. Notably, North Korean cyber operatives are expected to intensify their focus on cryptocurrency exchanges and Web3 companies in JAPAC. Posing as remote IT workers, they aim to infiltrate organisations and capitalise on the region’s high cryptocurrency adoption rates. Meanwhile, Southeast Asia’s cybercriminal groups are evolving their tactics, integrating advanced technology, including generative AI, into their operations and creating underground markets for illicit financial transactions. This evolution underscores the need for enhanced intelligence-sharing across sectors in JAPAC to monitor and counteract these sophisticated threats.

The Global Threat Landscape : key insight

Cybersecurity threats from the “Big Four”—Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea—remain prominent, each pursuing its own geopolitical agenda through cyber espionage, disruption, and influence operations. Russian actors are anticipated to continue cyber espionage linked to the Ukraine conflict and efforts to undermine NATO-aligned countries, while China’s state-sponsored attacks will prioritise stealthy, long-term access, especially targeting elections in Taiwan and the U.S. in 2025. Additionally, ransomware and multifaceted extortion continue to escalate, with increasingly sophisticated infostealer malware posing new challenges for organisations.

Building Resilience for 2025

With adversarial tactic advance , Google Cloud is encourages ’s 2025 forecast is encourages encourage organisation to adopt cloud – native security solution , improve identity and access management , and stay agile in response to threat . By understand these trend and prepare accordingly , organisations is bolster can bolster their defence and contribute to a more resilient cybersecurity landscape .

 Please find the full report