The emergence and prominence of AI technology is seen as a boon for alleviating workloads, but it can also be leveraged to enhance cyberattacks.
This is according to Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs, which released a year-end report analyzing traditional attack methods of 2024 and emerging trends for 2025.
Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) providers continue to represent the majority of bad actors, and Fortinet expects that these groups will increasingly focus on specialization, offering services that target specific segments of the attack chain.
One key example of an attack point is the cloud, as the volume of valuable information processed through it presents opportunities for CaaS providers. With many organizations relying on cloud technology, addressing cloud-specific vulnerabilities must be prioritized moving forward.
CaaS providers are also utilizing AI to develop automated hacking tools for the dark Web market. Fortinet anticipates that attackers will employ the automated outputs from Large Language Models (LLMs) to expand their operations, such as by gathering data through social media reconnaissance and bundling this information into phishing kits.
As cybersecurity measures intensify, so too do the levels of attack. This year has seen incidents where physical threats were added to cyber-attacks, putting executives and employees at risk.
Cybercrime is also expected to cross national borders as organized crime groups become more involved. Consequently, global collaborations and public-private partnerships are being formed to combat these escalating threats.
Participating in collaborative initiatives such as the World Economic Forum Cybercrime Atlas, facilitates the sharing of ideas and experiences. However, Fortinet emphasizes that cybersecurity should be a shared responsibility, and implementing enterprise-wide security awareness and training remains essential in the industry.
To deliver valuable and effective services to its clients, Fortinet said it is enhancing its cybersecurity solutions to keep pace with emerging cybercrime trends.
Alan Reyes, country manager of Fortinet Philippines, states that “Fortinet’s AI-driven cybersecurity platform empowers organizations to protect against both current and emerging threats, enhance their security posture, and build resilience in a constantly evolving threat landscape.”
