Essential Cyber Risk Strategies for 2025

Cyber risk is a critical concern for organizations in 2025. Protecting digital assets requires proactive measures against evolving threats. Recently, experts at the Cyber Risk Virtual Summit shared valuable insights for maintaining a competitive advantage in cybersecurity. Cyber Risk Management is vital to all aspects and levels of the day-to-day functions of any organization.

During a panel discussion titled “Future-proofing your cyber risk management: Trends for 2025,” looming cyber threats were discussed. These included vulnerabilities in the supply chain, challenges in cloud computing, identity-based attacks, AI-driven automation of attacks, and the increase in non-human identities. The panelists emphasized the need for continuous monitoring and vulnerability assessment to prevent breaches and disruptions. Therefore, taking the proper precautions is important. The experts that took part in this discussion include:

• Rick Patterson, CISO, Strada Global; Former CISO, PetSmart & Clear
• Tim Youngblood, CISO in Residence, Astrix Security; Former CISO, McDonald’s, Kimberly-Clark & Dell​
• Adam Fletcher, Chief Security Officer, Blackstone​

Let’s examine the top five cyber risks for 2025 and effective mitigation strategies.

Top 5 Cyber Risks for 2025

1. Vulnerabilities in the Supply Chain

As companies rely more on external partners, supply chains become critical vulnerability points. Indeed, supply chain attacks can exploit interconnected business operations, allowing malicious actors to infiltrate networks indirectly. According to Tim Youngblood, organizations must thoroughly understand their critical assets and potential vulnerability impacts.

How to manage this risk:

To address supply chain vulnerabilities, companies must be proactive. For example, incorporate AI-based questions when evaluating vendors to ensure data use aligns with security standards.

Moreover, monitoring SaaS vendor terms of service is essential for compliance and transparency. By engaging with business partners and maintaining a robust security risk program, organizations can drive their strategy, controls, and budget effectively. Maintaining a quality security risk program is essential to steer strategy and ensure control alignment.

2. Challenges in Cloud Computing

The increased storage and processing of data in the cloud makes securing these environments a major concern. For instance, key issues include data protection, cloud service vulnerabilities, and ensuring authorized access. The growing dependency on cloud services increases the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.

This heightened exposure requires a comprehensive understanding of cloud assets and their potential impact. And as cyber threats evolve, staying ahead requires strong security measures and continuous control validation to protect sensitive data.

How to manage this risk:

Addressing cloud computing challenges requires continuous control validation and testing. Organizations must have robust backup solutions and effective access management strategies. This approach minimizes data breach risks and enhances cloud environment security.

According to Tim Youngblood, a thorough “Crown Jewels assessment” to understand key assets is vital.

“I mentor about 10 CISOs now. The first thing that I ask them is… ‘Have you done a thorough Crown Jewels assessment? Do you really know what assets are running your company today?’ And until you’ve done that, you’re risking being exposed.”

Tim Youngblood, CISO, Astrix Security; Former CISO, McDonald’s, Kimberly-Clark & Dell​

The focus should be on identifying critical assets, understanding their potential impact, and implementing protective measures accordingly.

3. Attacks Targeting Identity

Identity-based attacks are increasingly common as cybercriminals exploit weaknesses in identity systems to gain unauthorized access. These attacks often involve misusing or stealing identities to penetrate secure systems and access sensitive information.

Cybercriminals frequently misuse stolen or weak credentials to infiltrate systems, posing significant risks to organizations. Furthermore, identity-based attacks can include phishing, social engineering, and credential stuffing, which exploit human errors and system vulnerabilities. These methods enable attackers to move laterally within networks, access sensitive data, and execute further malicious activities without immediate detection.

How to manage this risk:

Given the evolving landscape, organizations must strengthen their identity and access management practices. For example, enhancing authentication mechanisms, implementing regular security audits, and staying updated with the latest threat intelligence are crucial steps in mitigating identity-based threats. Ensuring all identities are adequately protected will be a key focus in safeguarding systems in 2025.

Tactics to counteract identity-based threats include implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) comprehensively. A proactive approach that includes robust identity and access management policies can effectively reduce the risk of identity theft and misuse.

4. Automation of Cyberattacks Using AI

Cyber attackers are increasingly leveraging AI to automate and refine their methods. As a result, this technology enables more sophisticated and efficient attacks, posing significant challenges to traditional defense mechanisms. AI can generate realistic phishing emails, automate vulnerability scanning, and even exploit vulnerabilities with precision and speed surpassing human capabilities. These advanced techniques allow cybercriminals to scale their operations, targeting multiple victims simultaneously and increasing the overall potential damage.

The application of AI in cyberattacks isn’t limited to automation; it also involves using machine learning algorithms to predict and adapt to security defenses. For instance, AI can analyze patterns in cybersecurity measures and adjust its tactics to bypass them. This makes it difficult for static security systems to keep up with the dynamic and evolving nature of AI-driven attacks.

How to manage this risk:

Our panelists suggest several tactics to mitigate the risks of AI:

• Embrace AI-driven security solutions to enhance threat detection and response capabilities. For example, integrating AI into existing cybersecurity frameworks helps companies stay ahead of attackers.
• Incorporate AI into security operations centers (SOCs) to monitor network traffic, identify suspicious activities, and prioritize alerts based on their risk levels.
• Implement continuous control validation and testing to ensure security measures are effective.
• Conduct a pre-mortem analysis to identify potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses before an attack occurs.

5. Growth of Non-Human Identities

The rise of non-human identities presents new challenges for network security. As a result, these automated systems and bots, which vastly outnumber human identities, can become targets for exploitation.

In 2025, attacks are expected to focus on these non-human identities, as they offer new vectors for cybercriminals. With approximately 40,000 non-human identities for every 1,000 employees, they represent a significant target for attacks.

How to manage this risk:

Organizations must develop strategies to effectively monitor and manage non-human identities. Consequently, this includes ensuring that identity management policies encompass both human and non-human entities. By conducting a thorough assessment of critical assets and their impact, organizations can build a resilient security posture.

Engaging with the business to develop a quality security risk program is essential. By doing so, companies can address the security risks posed by automated systems and bots, ensuring that their networks remain secure in 2025.

Take the Next Step in Cyber Risk Management

The Cyber Risk Virtual Summit highlighted actionable strategies to tackle these pressing cyber risks. Our panel of experts emphasized the following best practices to stay ahead of cyber risks in 2025:

• Implement strong authentication mechanisms: MFA and other robust authentication measures are pivotal in safeguarding against identity-based attacks.
• Conduct regular security awareness training for employees: Educating your workforce on cyber security risks and best practices is a pivotal strategy in mitigating human error risks.
• Develop a comprehensive incident response plan: A well-structured plan for responding to cyber incidents is key to mitigating the impact of an attack.
• Work with a reputable cybersecurity firm: A cybersecurity firm can assist your organization in assessing risks, devising a security strategy, and implementing robust security controls.
• Invest in AI-powered security solutions: AI-powered security solutions can assist organizations in swiftly and effectively detecting and responding to cyber threats.

Effective cyber governance starts with leadership alignment. Get your free Cyber Leadership Playbook for more expert insights, including actionable strategies to help CISOs, GCs, and boards manage cyber risk with confidence.