CrowdStrike’s 2025 Global Threat Report reveals a significant rise in state-sponsored cyber activities, AI-driven attacks, and identity-based intrusions. China-linked cyber espionage surged by 150 percent, with critical industries experiencing a 300 percent increase in targeted attacks. The report also highlights a sharp rise in AI-powered social engineering, with voice phishing incidents growing by 442 percent in the latter half of 2024. Additionally, 79 percent of initial access attempts are now malware-free, as cybercriminals exploit stolen credentials to infiltrate systems undetected. North Korean adversaries conducted insider threat operations in 40 percent of their attacks, while Iranian groups increasingly used AI for vulnerability research. The report also notes record-breaking attack speeds, with the fastest breach occurring in just 51 seconds.
Cloud environments remain highly targeted, with new intrusions rising by 26 percent year-over-year. Unpatched vulnerabilities continue to be a primary entry point, accounting for 52 percent of observed security weaknesses. Adam Meyers, Head of Counter Adversary Operations at CrowdStrike, emphasized the need for a real-time, intelligence-driven security approach, as traditional defenses struggle against advanced threats. The CrowdStrike Falcon platform integrates AI, behavioral analysis, and expert threat hunting to detect and mitigate attacks across identity, cloud, and endpoint security, helping organizations strengthen their defenses against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
