“In early 2025, Cyble made bold Threat Predictions about the cybersecurity landscape, and the year has confirmed them with amazing accuracy. Over 80% of the threats we forecasted, from AI-driven ransomware to complex supply chain attacks, unfolded exactly as our intelligence anticipated. Cyble doesn’t just predict trends; we warn the world before they hit the headlines. Six months before AI-powered ransomware became a mainstream threat, Cyble’s dark web monitoring captured discussions on using language models for phishing, automated social engineering, and victim negotiation.
ODIN telemetry flagged unusual cloud activity long before breaches were publicly reported, while AMIBreached data revealed emerging supply chain compromises ahead of law enforcement advisories.
These insights aren’t hypothetical; they are actionable intelligence. By combining deep dark web analysis, global attack-trend monitoring, and advanced telemetry, Cyble gives organizations a strategic advantage over attackers.
As 2025 closes, it’s clear that our forecasts, from ransomware affiliates adapting rapidly to law enforcement, to targeted attacks on critical infrastructure amid geopolitical tensions, materialized with remarkable precision.
Looking toward 2026, the threat landscape promises to be even more complex and relentless. In the sections that follow, we review how our 2025 predictions played out and offer an early view of the emerging cyber risks that organizations must prepare for.
Cyble is already tracking the fingerprints of tomorrow’s attacks, giving defenders a vital head starts in a world where speed and intelligence are everything.
1. Use of AI in Ransomware Operations (True)
Cyble’s researchers picked up chatters on the dark web channels, early last year where discussions around the use of AI and LLMs for better social engineering techniques and even ransomware notes were observed. This led to our prediction that AI-based LLMs and other tech would come to the fore for malicious operations too lowering the barrier to entry for rookie threat actors. This prediction proved true to the word.
In 2025, ransomware incidents rose by 50%, affecting organizations across industries, as confirmed by Cyble’s analysis. Further validating this trend, the FBI and CISA issued joint warnings on Medusa ransomware, which saw the use of AI in streamlining intrusion, escalating privileges, and evading detection.
The EU SOCTA 2025 report also echoed similar sentiment, noting a clear increase in the frequency of ransomware operations. Collectively, these developments explain how AI is enabling attackers to write better phishing mails, vishing scripts and even AI-enabled chatbots that negotiate with victims post compromise, helping them evade detection from law enforcement agencies.
2. RaaS Affiliates Adapt to Law Enforcement Actions (True)
Cyble predicted that ransomware affiliates would evolve rapidly in response to global law enforcement crackdowns, shifting between multiple Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operators or leveraging leaked builders to remain active. This prediction held true throughout 2025.
Despite major international takedowns, including operations targeting Rhadamanthys, NoName057(16), and BlackSuit’s infrastructure, ransomware activity continued to rise rather than decline.
Cyble’s research linked this resilience to agile affiliate behavior, with attackers quickly migrating to new or emerging platforms. Reporting from The Cyber Express on dismantled DDoS-for-hire empires and underground ecosystems further reinforces the adaptability of these threat actors. These developments highlight that while law enforcement disruptions make headlines, they don’t always eliminate the threat completely; instead, they accelerate affiliate diversification and the adoption of distributed criminal models.
3. Exploitation of Public-Facing Application Vulnerabilities and Zero-Days (True)
Cyble’s data from ODIN and AMIBreached led to a prediction that vulnerabilities in public-facing applications would remain a dominant intrusion vector, with ransomware groups continuing to exploit zero-day flaws throughout 2025. The prediction was validated from the several public alerts and advisories the CERTs and their partners across the globe issued through the year.
The Cyber Express reported a breach at a U.S. Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agency linked to vulnerabilities in exposed systems, point out how unpatched applications continue to be prime entry points.
Additional reporting highlighted critical issues in Multer for Node.js, which exposed millions of applications to potential compromise, as well as an actively exploited zero-day in Microsoft SharePoint.
Moreover, widespread exploitation of vulnerabilities such as CVE-2025-20337 and CVE-2025-5777 demonstrated sustained attacker focus on publicly exposed and high-impact flaws.
Collectively, these incidents show that zero-day exploitation remains one of the most efficient and profitable methods for initial access, precisely as Cyble forecasted.
4. Increased Targeting of Cloud and Hybrid Environments (True)
Cyble expected that as cloud adoption accelerated, ransomware groups would increasingly target cloud-native tools, SaaS environments, and hybrid infrastructure. Events in 2025 confirm this shift. Notably, the advanced threat actor Silk Typhoon conducted campaigns targeting global SaaS providers, cloud-based identity systems, and authentication flows.
Australia also faced a surge in ransomware incidents affecting organizations heavily reliant on hybrid cloud infrastructure, highlighting the expanding attack surface introduced by distributed environments.
Parallel reporting on the rise of software supply chain attacks, many involving cloud repositories and DevOps pipelines, further supports Cyble’s prediction that attackers would exploit cloud ecosystems more frequently. These developments show that threat actors are now deeply familiar with cloud-based systems and are actively weaponizing them at scale.
5. Expansion of Supply Chain Ransomware Targeting (True)
Cyble warned ransomware groups would increasingly target supply chain partners and vendors due to the high profitability and scalability of such attacks. The 2025 threat landscape strongly supports this prediction. LockBit 5.0 re-emerged with refined tactics that placed heavy emphasis on compromising third-party providers, aiming to cascade impact across multiple downstream victims.
Europol’s announcement targeting the Qilin ransomware group further highlighted how supply-chain-focused actors had become a priority for global enforcement.
Cyble’s own research on emerging threats such as SafePay and DevMan, documented cases where attackers gained access through IT service providers and technology vendors. With ransomware incidents rising sharply across 2025, the growing pattern of indirect compromise demonstrates that supply chain attacks are becoming a standard part of the ransomware playbook.
6. Rising Attacks on Critical Infrastructure Amid Geopolitical Tension (True)
Cyble predicted that increasing geopolitical friction would lead to more cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure as part of hybrid warfare strategies. This has been carried out in 2025 through numerous global incidents. The several hacktivist campaigns targeting essential services such as energy, transportation, and government systems, reflecting ideological and geopolitical motivations.
The UAE reported successfully blocking a massive cyberattack aimed at its critical infrastructure, while China openly accused Taiwan of conducting targeted cyber intrusions amid rising regional tensions.
These cases collectively show how ransomware, state-backed actors, and hacktivist groups are leveraging cyber space to influence, disrupt essential services, and escalate political pressure, precisely the hybrid warfare pattern Cyble predicted for 2025.
7. Persistence of Top-Tier Underground Forums for Ransomware Collaboration (True)
Cyble predicted that major dark web forums, including XSS, Exploit, and RAMP, would remain central to ransomware collaboration despite enforcement actions. This prediction has come to fruition in 2025.
In a detailed article on the Top 10 Dark Web Forums, it was confirmed that these platforms continue to thrive, serving as hubs for malware development, initial access brokerage, and affiliate recruitment.
Additional Cyble analysis on BFSI cyberthreats in Europe highlighted how structured forum-based collaboration enables threat actors to exchange tools, strategies, and stolen data with minimal disruption.
Meanwhile, The Cyber Express revealed that the HelloKitty ransomware group leveraged underground forums during its transition to the HelloGookie rebrand, offering further proof of these platforms’ operational relevance. Taken together, these findings affirm that underground forums remain a resilient backbone of the ransomware ecosystem.
Conclusion
Cyble’s 2025 predictions proved remarkably accurate. From AI-driven ransomware and supply chain attacks to cloud exploitation and threats to critical infrastructure, the year unfolded exactly as our intelligence anticipated. This reinforces a simple truth: enterprises relying on Cyble gain months of advantage over adversaries, enabling them to act before threats escalate.
Accurate, data-driven intelligence allows organizations to proactively strengthen defenses, monitor emerging risks, and adopt strategies that reduce cyber exposure.
As 2026 approaches, Cyble’s upcoming predictions will provide the early warnings and actionable insights needed to stay ahead in an increasingly complex threat landscape.
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To help organizations prepare for the next wave of cyber risks, Cyble experts are hosting a deep-dive session on the emerging blind spots that will define 2026.
Register now: https://cyble.com/webinars/cybersecurity-blind-spots-2025-fixing-2026-webinar
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