Solutions architect create the overall technical vision for specific solutions to a business problem, in this case, defending against cybersecurity threats
As the new year begins, we continue featuring cyber threat trends and predictions contributed by cybersecurity firms.
Starting off, Mark Lukie (Director, Solution Architects) and Matt Caffrey (Senior Architect, Solutions Architects, ANZ) of Barracuda have offered their predictive insights.
Their forecasts are in the form of three questions: What most surprised them in 2024 in terms of cyber threats/cybersecurity in the Asia Pacific region; what biggest cybersecurity concerns are on their customers’ and business partners’ minds for 2025; and how they expect cyber threats will evolve this year.
Biggest cyber surprises of 2024
Last year, Lukiewasmost surprised by cybercriminals’ rapid integration of generative AI to render social engineering attacks more convincing and phishing campaigns more widespread. “We also saw an increase in email attacks using newer techniques such as QR codes.”
Caffrey was most surprised by the continued success of ransomware attacks despite increased awareness and defenses: “The topic had been elevated to the mainstream media.
Attackers had evolved their tactics, focusing on double extortion by threatening to leak sensitive data, as we saw with larger firms within the Australia and New Zealand region. Even with improved defenses, the persistence of this threat shows that organizations are still struggling to balance prevention, detection, and recovery.”
Topmost 2025 cyber concerns
Lukie noted that many in his business circle are concerned about fragmented visibility across various threat vectors, making detecting and responding to complex attacks challenging. “As threats span email, network, and endpoint layers, customers see extended detection and response (XDR) as essential for unifying security insights and enhancing detection accuracy. They are most concerned with achieving centralized, real-time visibility and rapid response across diverse attack surfaces, in order to address evolving threats more effectively.”
For Caffrey, the biggest concern is the protection of sensitive data, especially as businesses increasingly rely on cloud-based services. These concerns are centered around ransomware events. “ANZ customers are worried about how to effectively manage their security posture across different environments while ensuring compliance with stricter data privacy. Data privacy is the main focus, with the passing of the Cyber Security Bill of Nov 2024.
How will cyber threats evolve in 2025?
Lukie is predicting that cyber threats will become more automated and evasive, leveraging AI to bypass traditional defenses. “Attacks on critical infrastructure and cloud services will likely increase, demanding more robust resilience measures.”
Caffrey expects a rise in targeted attacks on critical infrastructure and small- to medium-sized enterprises, which often lack the robust security resources of larger organizations. “Cybercriminals will likely continue exploiting vulnerabilities in outdated systems and supply chains, making it crucial for companies to invest in stronger, more adaptive security frameworks.”
CybersecAsia thanks both contributors for sharing their professional predictions.
