The Zscaler ThreatLabz research team recently published pivotal insights on ransomware trends anticipated for the year 2025, as highlighted in their latest Ransomware Report. The report indicates a marked increase in the sophistication of ransomware tactics and extortion methods, underscoring the ongoing threat to Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in various industries.
Among the primary predictions for ransomware in 2025, the report outlines the role of Generative AI in advancing voice phishing, or vishing attacks. With the growing availability of GenAI-based tools, initial access broker groups are expected to utilise AI-generated voices that closely mimic regional accents and dialects. This technological advance is aimed at enhancing the credibility of such attacks, thereby increasing their potential success rates.
The report also highlights what they identify as the "Trifecta of Social Engineering Attacks," which includes vishing, ransomware, and data exfiltration. Notably, sophisticated ransomware groups like the Dark Angels are trending towards low-volume yet high-impact operations, preferring to target individual companies while exfiltrating significant quantities of data without encrypting files. This approach is designed to evade media scrutiny and law enforcement focus.
Specific industries are predicted to remain in the crosshairs of these attacks, with manufacturing, healthcare, education, and energy cited as particularly vulnerable sectors. The report anticipates no slowdown in ransomware activity targeting these fields.
In terms of regulatory impacts, 2025 is expected to usher in stricter transparency measures, particularly with new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations. These developments will likely result in a rise in the reporting of ransomware incidents and associated payouts, given the mandated requirement for public companies to report material incidents within four business days.
Ransom demands are also projected to rise, attributed to a changing landscape of cybercrime groups that specialise in targeted attack strategies. Such groups are increasingly collaborating within a sophisticated profit-sharing framework known as Ransomware-as-a-Service.
To address these escalating threats, Zscaler ThreatLabz advocates for the adoption of several key strategies. One primary recommendation is to counteract the use of AI by implementing AI-driven zero trust security systems. These systems are designed to detect and mitigate emerging cyber threats.
The report outlines multiple advantages of a Zero Trust architecture, which aims to halt ransomware at various stages of the attack lifecycle. Key elements of this architecture include minimising the attack surface by replacing outdated virtual private networks (VPNs) and firewalls with a cloud proxy that conceals users and devices from external threats.
Additionally, it emphasises preventing compromise through extensive measures such as TLS/SSL inspection, browser isolation, and advanced sandboxing, which collectively work to block access to harmful websites and identify unfamiliar threats.
Moreover, the architecture aims to eliminate lateral movement within networks by utilising user-to-app segmentation and identity threat detection and response strategies. By allowing users to connect directly to applications instead of broader networks, this approach reduces lateral movement risks associated with potential breaches.
Finally, inline data loss prevention measures combined with comprehensive threat inspections are recommended to guard against data theft, thereby strengthening overall cybersecurity postures.
For further details on ransomware threats and to access the complete Zscaler 2024 Ransomware Report, additional resources are made available through Zscaler.
Source: Noah Wire Services