5 Critical Shifts Shaping the Cyber Threat Landscape in 2025

The cyber threat landscape is undergoing seismic shifts, with new adversary tactics, tools, and motivations emerging faster than ever before, forcing organizations to adapt in real-time. In Flashpoint’s Midyear Threat Intelligence Index: Critical Shifts to Watch webinar—now available on demand—our experts provide a deep dive into the data and geopolitical drivers shaping the cyber threats in the first half of 2025.

“The cybercrime ecosystem isn’t just evolving; it’s undergoing a fundamental transformation. We’re seeing adversaries rapidly adapt their business models—from the shift to pure data extortion in ransomware to the persistent resilience of underground communities. These interconnected threats, fueled by a surge in infostealer activity, demand a new level of agility from defenders.”

Ian Gray, Vice President of Intelligence at Flashpoint

Missed the live session? Below are the five critical shifts shaping today’s threat landscape—and why they matter for defenders.

Ransomware Evolves Beyond Encryption

Flashpoint has observed continued maturation of the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model with new ransomware operators increasingly abandoning traditional encryption in favor of pure extortion. Rather than lock down systems, they steal the data and threaten to leak it publicly unless a ransom is paid—a tactic that requires less technical infrastructure and has proven to be highly effective. In fact, ransomware attacks have surged 179% since the start of 2025, underscoring the success of this streamlined model.

The webinar also highlighted another key evolution: the rise of politically motivated hacktivist groups and state-sponsored actors who are now using ransomware as part of their toolkit. As  financial and ideological motives converge, attribution becomes more difficult—and defending against these blended threats increasingly complex.

The Resilient Cybercrime Underground

Law enforcement agencies have made notable strides in disrupting cybercrime, but  underground communities have demonstrated remarkable resilience. Following the shutdown of prominent forums like BreachForums and XSS, threat actors have quickly migrated to new platforms, or have splintered off to create their own. 

This classic “hydra effect”—where one takedown leads to the emergence of multiple new venues—creates a constantly shifting threat environment. For security professionals, maintaining visibility into these evolving illicit communities is essential to staying ahead of emerging threats.

The Threat of Infostealers and Massive Data Leaks

Infostealers continue to be a dominant force in the threat landscape. Even with the takedown of major strains like Lumma, new and less sophisticated variants are rapidly attempting to fill the void. Infostealers have been a primary source of compromised credentials, responsible for leaking over 1.8 billion in 2025. This massive amount of stolen data is sold on underground marketplaces and serves as fuel for future malicious campaigns.

DPRK Remote IT Workers Use AI to Infiltrate Companies

One of the most alarming developments covered in the webinar is the  growing use of remote IT workers from North Korea (DPRK) to infiltrate global companies for intellectual property theft and espionage. In this webinar, in addition to Flashpoint’s recent community call, we detailed how these operatives often use sophisticated methods to bypass vetting, including leveraging AI-powered deepfake technology to alter their appearance during video interviews.

To gain deeper insights into the DPRK’s operations, Flashpoint has used infostealer logs as a proxy to track illicit activity, finding that this threat has extended beyond the US to multiple countries.

Vulnerability Management in the Face of Backlogs

The number of disclosed vulnerabilities is at an all-time high, posing a significant challenge for organizations trying to manage their attack surface. Public vulnerability intelligence sources like the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) have experienced significant backlogs and delays, leaving security teams potentially exposed and uncertain about which vulnerabilities to prioritize.

As discussed in the webinar, the solution lies in a risk-based approach to vulnerability management. Organizations should focus on patching remotely exploitable vulnerabilities for which a fix is readily available. By prioritizing based on exploitability, teams can significantly reduce their critical workload and focus on the threats that matter most.

Stay Ahead Using Flashpoint

2025 has been defined by rapid adaptation and resilience in the cybercrime ecosystem. From the shifting tactics of ransomware groups and the agility of underground communities, to the rising sophistication of infostealers and state-sponsored actors, the threat landscape is more complex than ever.

Staying ahead of these trends requires more than just reacting to individual incidents. It requires a proactive, intelligence-led approach that focuses on understanding adversaries, monitoring key threat communities, and prioritizing defenses based on actual risk. Watch the full on-demand webinar for a deeper dive into these critical findings and how to protect your organization.