Record Surge in Automated Cyberattacks: Fortinet Threat Report

Fortinet Threat Landscape Report Highlights Surge in Cybercrime

Record Surge in Automated Cyberattacks

The FortiGuard Labs 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report reveals a significant increase in automated cyberattacks, with threat actors leveraging AI and automation to exploit vulnerabilities at an unprecedented scale. Derek Manky, Chief Security Strategist at Fortinet, emphasizes that "Cybercriminals are accelerating their efforts, using AI and automation to operate at unprecedented speed and scale."

Image courtesy of Help Net Security

Key findings include:

• Automated Scanning: There was a 16.7% increase in automated scans year-over-year, reaching billions of scans monthly. This highlights a focus on identifying exposed services like SIP and RDP.
• Darknet Exploit Kits: Cybercriminal forums are evolving into marketplaces for exploit kits, with over 40,000 new vulnerabilities added to the National Vulnerability Database, representing a 39% increase from 2023.

For more information, visit the Fortinet Threat Report.

AI-Powered Cybercrime and Targeted Attacks

Threat actors are increasingly using AI tools such as FraudGPT and ElevenLabs to enhance the realism of phishing attacks and to evade detection. This shift has made cyberattacks more effective, posing challenges for traditional security measures.

Adversaries are focusing their attacks on specific sectors:

• Manufacturing (17%)
• Business Services (11%)
• Construction (9%)
• Retail (9%)

The United States is the most targeted country, accounting for 61% of attacks.

Learn more about the impact of AI on cybercrime at Help Net Security.

Security Risks in Cloud and IoT Environments

Cloud environments are increasingly vulnerable, with attackers exploiting misconfigured services and over-permissioned identities. In 70% of incidents, access was gained through logins from unfamiliar geographies, highlighting the importance of identity monitoring in cloud defense.

Fortinet's report indicates that over 100 billion compromised records were shared on underground forums, marking a 42% increase from the previous year. Cybercriminal groups such as BestCombo and BloddyMery are actively involved in credential theft.

For additional insights, refer to the Fortinet Global Threat Landscape Report.

CISO Strategies for Threat Defense

The report outlines strategic areas for CISOs to focus on in order to strengthen defenses against emerging threats:

• Continuous Threat Exposure Management: Shift from traditional threat detection to proactive management of attack surfaces and real-world emulation of adversary behavior.
• Simulating Attacks: Conduct red and purple teaming exercises, leveraging the MITRE ATT&CK framework for testing defenses.
• Reducing Attack Surface Exposure: Deploy attack surface management tools to detect vulnerabilities and continuously monitor darknet forums.

For more details on these strategies, check out the Fortinet CISO Playbook.

Conclusion and Call to Action

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