New AI cybersecurity threats set to proliferate in 2025

A single, unified data security platform to tackle evolving security threats, deepfakes at scale, and the arrival of quantum-resistant defences are among the cybersecurity trends in 2025, says global cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks.

In 2024, organisations across Asia-Pacific have been integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into business processes, including cybersecurity, leading to an AI arms race between organisations and their adversaries.

However, a recent PwC report revealed that over 40% of leaders are unaware of the cyber-risks posed by emerging technologies like generative AI (GenAI).

“In 2025, the Asia-Pacific region will face a perfect storm of AI-driven cyberthreats, escalating in scale, sophistication, and impact,” said Simon Green, president of Asia-Pacific and Japan at Palo Alto Networks.

The days of fragmented security approaches are over, and organisations must pivot to unified platforms powered by transparent and trustworthy AI to stay ahead.

As quantum attacks loom and deepfakes become mainstream tools of deception, businesses will either innovate or risk being outpaced by adversaries.

“Those who fail to adapt risk not just breaches but irreparable damage to their reputation and resilience.” said Mr Green.

Thailand’s journey towards digital transformation is reshaping how government agencies and organisations protect themselves, said Piya Jitnimit, Thailand country manager at Palo Alto Networks.

He added that AI and quantum computing have intensified cyberthreats, making them more complex and severe.

It is critical for organisations to prioritise ethical AI practices, ensuring responsible development and use of AI technologies.

“Looking ahead, platformisation will play a pivotal role in cybersecurity. By consolidating IT devices and security tools into a unified platform, it makes it more effective and efficient,” Mr Piya said.

Five Trends

Palo Alto Networks said its predictions for 2025 are essential guidelines for organisations to shape their cybersecurity strategies and maximise the potential of AI technologies.

The first trend of cyber-infrastructure will be centred around a single unified data security platform.

In 2025, organisations will tackle growing complexity by reducing the number of cybersecurity tools and switching to a unified platform for better visibility and control. The ongoing cyberskills shortage will drive this shift.

The unified platform will offer comprehensive visibility across code repositories, cloud workloads and networks, creating a more streamlined security system.

The convergence of all security layers onto a unified platform will optimise resources, improve overall efficiency, and enable organisations to build more resilient, adaptive defences against evolving threats.

The second trend will see deepfakes go mainstream in Asia-Pacific, as they are already being used for nefarious purposes in the region. While some have been used to spread political misinformation, the most effective attacks have targeted corporations for financial gain, like the employee at a Hong Kong engineering firm duped into wiring millions of dollars to a scammer who had used deepfakes to imitate the chief finance officer and executive team on a video conference.

The use of audio deepfakes will also become more widespread in these attacks, as the available technology allows for highly credible voice cloning.

The third trend is quantum-resistant defences. Quantum computing projects are growing across the region, with heavy investments from governments and venture capital firms.

Although quantum attacks on widely used encryption methods are not yet possible, nation-state-backed threat actors are expected to ramp up their “harvest now, decrypt later” tactics, targeting sensitive data to decrypt later when quantum technology advances.

This poses significant risks to governments and businesses, potentially threatening civilian and military communications, critical infrastructure, and security protocols for internet-based financial transactions.

To effectively counter these threats, all organisations must adopt quantum-resistant defences.

The fourth trend is transparency, which will be key to maintaining customer trust in the AI era.

Asia-Pacific legislators will continue to prioritise ethics, data protection, and transparency. Transparency in AI model operations, including data collection, training datasets, and decision-making, will be crucial for building trust.

The last trend sees increased focus on product integrity and supply chain security in 2025. Organisations will prioritise product integrity and supply chain resilience, conducting thorough risk assessments, addressing accountability and legal implications of business disruptions, and reviewing insurance arrangements.