2025 Industry Threat Profile

December 09, 2025

As we announce the 2025 edition of Optiv’s Industry Threat Profile, there are two key points which remain the same year over year:

• Attackers are adapting to and within the same technological, regulatory and operational ecosystems as the ‘good guys,’ and…
• The organizations that will thrive are those continuously translating visibility, governance and intelligence into measurable and repeatable security outcomes.

Despite what remains the same, though, there are distinct shifts in the way cyber threats evolve and persist. The line between known risks and emerging threats has, and will continue to be, blurred. Bad actors aren’t lurking on the edges anymore; they’re blending right into the very systems and rules on which businesses rely. Plus, entry points are becoming more interconnected, allowing for a murkier mix of traditional exploitation with sophisticated automation and social engineering at-scale.

In 2025’s iteration we tag threats as “Emerging,” “Persistent” and “Noteworthy Change” as an effort to underscore these aforementioned trends, demonstrating while some resurface with renewed force, others mutate faster than defenses can adapt.

Meanwhile, new regulations are shaking up how organizations deal with cybersecurity. It’s not just about protecting data anymore; It’s also about proving your company can bounce back when something goes wrong. But, as has been stated over and over again, compliance for compliance’s sake, e.g. simply following a set of rules, isn’t enough. Real security happens when meeting regulatory requirements merges with visibility, smart governance and organizational agility.

Across the 2025 report’s analysis, three issues stand out for all verticals:

• Human Exposure: Even with advanced security tech, simple human mistakes are hard to overcome. AI-powered phishing scams, deepfake impersonations and tired security teams make it even tougher to stay protected.
• Third-Party and Ecosystem Risk: As businesses rely more on cloud services, SaaS vendors and AI platforms, the threat surface keeps expanding. Hackers are exploiting supply chains and trusted connections, and most organizations can’t see far enough into their now extended digital environments to stop them.
• Response Readiness: We’re better at spotting attacks, but shutting them down quickly and recovering and/or returning to normal still needs work. Complicated regulations, mixed IT setups and tangled dependencies mean responses can be slow, letting small problems turn into big ones.

At Optiv, we’re dedicated to helping organizations solve for these gaps. We hope our 2025 Industry Threat Profile report continues to bring you value as you plan for the year ahead.

Thanks for being part of our community and trusting us to help you navigate today’s cybersecurity landscape.