A new report from Deep Instinct reveals a sharp rise in AI-powered cyber attacks, ransomware, and geopolitical cyber warfare. The 2025 Threat Report: The Changing Face of Global Threats examines last year’s most dangerous threats and predicts even greater risks ahead.

Ransomware remains the dominant cyber threat, with attacks increasing 30 percent from 2023. AI-generated phishing scams have become more effective, using deepfake video and voice technology to trick victims. The rise of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) has made these attacks easier to launch, with healthcare and financial organizations suffering the most.

Cybercriminals are also using AI to create polymorphic malware, which constantly changes to evade detection. At the same time, cyber warfare has intensified, with hackers targeting infrastructure and spreading misinformation in response to global conflicts. The US remains the top ransomware target, though attacks in France, Italy, and Austria are increasing.

In 2024, several ransomware groups gained traction, with LockBit 3.0, RansomHub, and Akira leading the surge in attacks. Among them, Akira proved especially destructive, breaching over 250 organizations across North America, Europe, and Australia. By early 2024, the group had extorted more than $42 million in ransom payments

Vulnerabilities are also rising, especially with 30 percent of business network endpoints now IoT-based. Experts warn that outdated security models aren’t enough to stop modern threats.

“The era of reactive security is over,” said Yariv Fishman, CPO at Deep Instinct. “Preemptive defenses powered by deep learning will define cybersecurity’s future.”