AI-Driven Surge in Cyber Threats
Fortinet’s 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report reveals a sharp escalation in cyber threats driven by AI, automation, and the commoditization of attack tools. Automated scanning surged by 16.7% globally in 2024, enabling attackers to proactively identify exposed infrastructure like SIP, RDP, and IoT protocols. Darknet marketplaces expanded access to exploit kits and compromised credentials, with 1.7 billion stolen records shared and a 500% increase in infostealer logs. Threat actors are leveraging AI tools like FraudGPT and BlackmailerV3 to enhance phishing and malware delivery, reducing detection rates and enabling scalable, realistic attacks.
The report highlights a rise in sector-specific attacks, especially against manufacturing, healthcare, and finance. U.S.-based organizations were the most targeted, accounting for 61% of incidents. Also, cloud environments remain a major weakness, with attackers exploiting misconfigurations and identity access flaws in 70% of cases. Credentials remain central to attacks, with over 100 billion compromised records circulated and cybercriminal groups like BestCombo and ValidMail facilitating large-scale account takeovers and fraud.
To combat these threats, Fortinet offers a “CISO Playbook for Adversary Defense.” It emphasizes continuous threat exposure management, real-world attack simulation, and proactive monitoring of exposed assets and dark web activity. The playbook urges security leaders to prioritize high-risk vulnerabilities, leverage automation, and engage in adversary emulation to assess defenses. FortiGuard Labs positions this intelligence as a strategic resource for defenders to preempt attacks and reduce the impact of emerging threats in today’s rapidly evolving digital environment.
Sharma, Ray. 2025. “Fortinet: AI and Automation Drive Surge in Global Cyber Threats.” The Fast Mode. Apr. 30.
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