AUSCERT’s 2025 cybersecurity forecasts
Australia’s venerable Cyber Emergency Response Team predicts battles against phishing, increased collaboration, even more spam and a continued rise in dangerous deepfakes.
Australia’s Cyber Security Emergency Response Team, AUSCERT, dusted off its crystal ball earlier this year, with a series of predictions in the area of cybersecurity coming into 2025.
The team has six key predictions for the year ahead, which are actually much closer than I had imagined.
1. The fight against phishing will intensify
AUSCERT expects phishing attempts to increase during peak seasonal periods in 2025, including the end of the financial year and tax time. To this end, AUSCERT will focus on increasing brand awareness among consumers so that they can detect phishing attacks. Particular attention will be paid to schemes aimed at impersonating high-level leaders.
2. More collaboration with global partners
AUSCERT will continue to work with partners around the world, particularly regarding strengthening regulatory regimes and improving business practices. One area of particular focus is prioritizing partnerships between the private and public sectors, which can more easily detect and respond to cyber threats.
3. Deepfakes won’t lead anywhere
Phishing attacks are expected to increasingly rely on AI-generated content, particularly deepfakes targeting both businesses and individuals.
“AUSCERT cautions businesses and individuals to be on the lookout and always verify sources,” AUSCERT said today.
4. Expect an increase in malware and spam
Unfortunately, AUSCERT predicts that despite continued efforts to combat them, spam attacks will continue to increase in 2025. Spam and malware are becoming easier to generate on a large scale, and cybercriminals are becoming increasingly smart in the way they deploy their attacks.
This is a threat that will affect businesses, individuals and non-profit organizations alike.
5. Cybersecurity training will be in high demand
As the threat landscape continues to evolve and expand, AUSCERT expects more organizations will look to strengthen cybersecurity training for all levels of employees, especially executives. Enrollment in cybersecurity courses will increase as companies look to improve their entire workforce.
“As regulatory pressures intensify, the demand for leaders to have a solid understanding of cybersecurity principles will increase in 2025 and beyond,” AUSCERT said.
6. Governance, risk and compliance must be the focus
In addition to strengthening training, more organizations will seek classroom training exercises and cybersecurity maturity assessments. As threats become more complex and regulatory requirements increase, these services will become increasingly essential.
