THE rise of Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) groups, an increasing integration of AI in attacks, and the expansion of attack surfaces to include cloud environments and even physical threats all paint the future of cyberthreats in the Philippines and globally.
At a media briefing today, Fortinet executives explained the contents of their 2025 Cyberthreat Predictions Report. Developed by FortiGuard Labs, reveals a concerning evolution in the cybercrime landscape, with attackers shifting towards more specialized and destructive strategies. To counter these evolving tactics, the report emphasizes the importance of collaboration, AI-driven defenses, and proactive security measures to enhance collective resilience against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
“As cybercriminals continue to evolve their tactics, 2025 is poised to bring a new wave of highly specialized and AI-driven attacks…These trends reflect how adversaries are pushing boundaries to execute more precise, large-scale attacks. Our predictions underscore the need for organizations to anticipate and adapt to an increasingly dynamic threat landscape,” Rashish Pandey, VP of Marketing & Communications for Asia / ANZ said as he emphasized the need for organizations to adapt to the dynamic threat landscape.
The report highlights the growing trend of specialization within Cybercrime-as-a-Service (CaaS) groups.
“In the past, we’ve observed many CaaS providers serving as jacks of all trades—offering buyers everything needed to execute an attack, from phishing kits to payloads. However, we expect that CaaS groups will increasingly embrace specialization, with many groups focusing on providing offerings that home in on just one segment of the attack chain,” Pandey said.
While in the past, CaaS providers often offered a wide range of tools and services, they are now expected to focus on specific segments of the attack chain, leading to more targeted and effective attacks.
Another area of concern is the growing focus on cloud environments. As more organizations rely on multiple cloud providers, attackers are increasingly exploiting cloud-specific vulnerabilities. Furthermore, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in cyberattacks is anticipated to rise, with attackers leveraging tools like Large Language Models (LLMs) to automate tasks such as social media reconnaissance and phishing kit development.
Adding to these concerns, cyberattacks are predicted to become more aggressive and destructive, with adversaries expanding their playbooks to include physical threats and even collaborating with transnational crime organizations. This convergence of cyber and physical threats demands a more holistic security approach from organizations.
In the face of these evolving threats, the cybersecurity community must adapt and strengthen its collective resilience. This includes pursuing global collaborations, public-private partnerships, and the development of comprehensive frameworks to combat cybercrime. Organizations must also prioritize enterprise-wide security awareness and training, recognizing that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. Ultimately, by working together and sharing intelligence, the cybersecurity community can better anticipate and disrupt cybercrime, effectively protecting society at large.
“As cybercriminals adopt more sophisticated and impactful methods to execute attacks, the role of AI in cybersecurity becomes increasingly vital…Advancing public-private partnerships and adopting robust cybersecurity practices are also essential to countering cybercrime,” Alan Reyes, Country Manager for Fortinet Philippines concluded.
