This blog, authored by Sherweb’s Cybersecurity Technical Fellow Roddy Bergeron, explores the top security challenges and practical steps businesses should prepare for in 2025.
2025 isn’t just another chapter in cybersecurity; it’s the beginning of a paradigm shift. Threats are no longer predictable, and the stakes are far too high for businesses to rely on outdated defenses. This year, success will favor the bold—the organizations that don’t just react but redefine what it means to be secure in an era of relentless innovation and risk.
Several key trends are poised to reshape the cybersecurity landscape, especially for managed service providers (MSPs) and IT-focused businesses. Staying ahead of these threats is as much a necessity as it is also a competitive edge. With 2025 upon us, we at Sherweb will look into our crystal ball at 2025 cybersecurity predictions. From the evolving role of artificial intelligence to the emerging practical applications of quantum computing, here are the top predictions for the year.
Let’s dive into the key security developments poised to dominate the IT channel and how MSPs can leverage them for success.
What’s new in cybersecurity for 2025?
Cybersecurity is no longer a static checklist but a dynamic, ever-evolving practice. Here’s what 2025 has in store:
1. Cyber insurance integration
As cyberattacks grow in sophistication, insurers are tightening their requirements. With the global cyber insurance market growing rapidly, many companies are combining insurance coverage with robust cybersecurity measures. This trend not only helps mitigate financial risks but also ensures compliance with tightening regulations around data protection. Expect insurers to demand evidence of:
- Robust endpoint security and real-time threat monitoring.
- Ongoing employee cybersecurity training.
- Incident response plans tailored to ransomware and phishing attacks.
MSP action plan: Implement cyber insurance calculators for your clients to assess their risk levels and showcase the ROI of adopting insurance-backed security practices.
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2. AI-powered threat defense
The proliferation of AI-centric vendors is expected to stabilize. Large vendors will continue to refine their AI offerings, potentially acquiring smaller, innovative firms in the process. While AI adoption will undoubtedly increase, businesses will seek to limit their exposure as they integrate AI into mature business processes. This mirrors the early days of cloud computing when adoption surged despite initial growing pains. The challenges of managing AI, particularly poorly implemented or designed systems, will become highly visible in 2025, highlighting the risks associated with rushed or inadequate AI solutions.
AI will continue to redefine cybersecurity in 2025, with advancements in predictive analytics, automated incident response and machine learning models designed to counter adversarial AI. However, these tools are double-edged: while AI enhances defense capabilities, threat actors also exploit it to automate attacks. Deepfake technology, for example, poses a significant risk, demanding enhanced employee training and advanced AI tools to counteract these threats effectively.
The era of “wait and see” is over. Organizations must adopt a proactive stance or risk becoming the next cautionary tale.
MSP action plan:
- Integrate AI-driven solutions like SentinelOne into your offerings.
- Conduct workshops on to help clients understand AI-powered decisions, fostering trust.
3. The human element: Going beyond awareness with cybersecurity training
In a world of advanced technology, human error remains the weakest link. From falling for phishing scams to mishandling sensitive data, employees are often the inadvertent enablers of cyberattacks. But they can also be your greatest asset.
Comprehensive cybersecurity training is no longer optional, yet it remains underutilized. Frequent, engaging and role-specific programs can transform your workforce into a powerful line of defense. In 2025, MSPs need to go beyond sporadic training sessions. Comprehensive cyber awareness campaigns—complete with gamified training modules and real-time phishing simulations—are becoming the gold standard. Why? Because an employee who not only recognizes a phishing attempt but reports it, potentially saves your company from a costly breach. Empowering your team is one of the most effective ways to reduce risk in 2025.
MSP action plan: Partner with platforms offering dynamic employee training and simulate phishing attacks to measure preparedness. Reinforce training with quarterly updates tied to the latest threat intelligence.
4. The expanding role of Zero Trust architectures
Zero Trust isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the new standard in securing hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Gone are the days when a strong perimeter was enough. Today’s attackers don’t knock on the front door—they slip in through side windows and hidden vulnerabilities. Zero Trust architectures, which assume no user or device is trustworthy by default, have become the gold standard for defense.
The “never trust, always verify” approach of ZTA remains essential, especially as hybrid work models expand and traditional network boundaries erode. By 2025, the majority of enterprises are expected to adopt ZTA frameworks to continuously monitor and authenticate users and devices. This strategy is crucial for addressing remote work, BYOD policies, and third-party vendor integrations.
MSP action plan:
- Offer Zero Trust assessments to help clients identify gaps in their current frameworks.
- Bundle Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) with your existing security stack for added value.
- Solutions like Check Point SASE, offer a unified approach to securing remote access, cloud environments, and internal networks.
5. Quantum computing’s first practical applications
The potential of quantum computing to disrupt traditional encryption methods is no longer theoretical. Businesses will increasingly explore post-quantum cryptography to protect sensitive data from quantum-capable adversaries, a shift that will demand both technical investment and strategic foresight.
Organizations should prepare for this by developing strategies for quantum integration, especially in the realm of encryption. As quantum technology advances, encryption methods such as Diffie-Hellman and AES-128 may become vulnerable. Companies are encouraged to begin a comprehensive data inventory to understand where their data resides and the encryption methods protecting it, both at rest and in transit.
MSP action plan: To prepare for quantum threats, MSPs should implement quantum-ready encryption protocols, start assessing current encryption standards, and stay updated on emerging quantum-safe algorithms.
6. The evolving role of vCISOs
The role of vCISOs will evolve to include a stronger emphasis on external attack surface management. To remain competitive, vCISOs should help organizations understand risk from an attacker’s perspective, looking beyond corporate-owned assets to include third-party services. For example, understanding the security implications of third-party email archive systems hosted on platforms like AWS or Azure is crucial. This attacker-centric approach provides a more comprehensive view of potential vulnerabilities and helps organizations better comprehend and mitigate risk.
Persistent cybersecurity challenges
Many familiar cybersecurity challenges will persist in 2025, including phishing, over-privileged accounts, exposed services and the failure to prioritize patching. Although cybersecurity budgets are expected to increase, much of the investment will likely focus on AI and cloud security rather than addressing these core issues. Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and virtual CISOs (vCISOs) will need to emphasize the importance of basic cybersecurity controls, aligning them with modern technological applications to decrease organizational risk.
Let’s take a look at what we can expect from these more common challenges.
1. Backup and recovery are non-negotiable
Cyber threats are more than just headlines. To put it bluntly, ransomware is an epidemic. In 2025, the question isn’t if your business will face a ransomware attack but when. The aftermath of an attack can be catastrophic, from operational shutdowns to millions lost in recovery costs.That’s why backup and recovery strategies are mission-critical.
MSP action plan: Tools like Veeam provide not just peace of mind but a tangible safety net, enabling businesses to restore operations quickly. However, technology alone won’t save you. Regularly testing recovery plans is essential to ensure they work when it matters most. In the ransomware age, preparation is survival.
2. Increased focus on critical infrastructure regulations
Discussions around protecting critical infrastructure and essential services will intensify. In light of recent attacks on critical infrastructure and heightened supply chain risks, along with the implementation of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), we anticipate the drafting of federal legislation aimed at safeguarding these assets. Such legislation will likely move towards establishing a national standard that aligns with international frameworks like GDPR, streamlining the multiple state privacy and security requirements currently in place.
The complexity and interconnectedness of supply chains increase their vulnerability to cyberattacks. Organizations will prioritize external risk assessments, real-time monitoring and securing their vendors’ cyber postures. MSPs are uniquely positioned to guide clients through these challenges, offering expertise in compliance and resilience-building measures.
MSP action plan: To strengthen supply chain security, MSPs should assess and map vulnerabilities, enforce strict vendor management, adopt zero-trust principles, automate threat detection, comply with regulations, prepare incident response plans and foster security awareness across all stakeholders.
3. Regulatory compliance will intensify
The regulatory landscape is becoming more complex by the day. With updates to GDPR in Europe and new federal and state-level regulations in the U.S., businesses face a growing maze of compliance challenges. Non-compliance doesn’t just mean fines; it’s an open invitation to lawsuits, reputational damage and customer distrust. The cost of keeping up with these changes is high, but the cost of falling behind is even higher.
MSP action plan: Businesses should consider compliance monitoring tools and legal expertise as non-negotiable investments in 2025. Staying ahead of regulations isn’t just a legal obligation—it’s a competitive advantage.
4. Blockchain security
Blockchain technology has been widely known for its role in cryptocurrencies, but its applications extend far beyond this domain—especially in securing data and ensuring transaction integrity. As blockchain provides an immutable, decentralized ledger, it’s an ideal technology for securing sensitive information, ensuring transparency and preventing fraud.
MSP action plan: MSPs should prepare to integrate blockchain security measures into their service offerings to protect clients from emerging threats targeting these technologies.
5. Digital identity protection
With the rise of digital services comes the growing need to secure digital identities. By implementing advanced identity and access management (IAM) solutions, MSPs can protect their clients from identity theft, fraud and unauthorized access, which will be increasingly critical as more businesses adopt digital-first strategies.
MSP action plan: MSPs must implement advanced IAM solutions to safeguard clients’ digital identities and prevent unauthorized access.
6. IoT security
The rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices introduces new vulnerabilities that traditional security solutions may struggle to address. With more devices than ever before becoming interconnected this provides more opportunities for businesses to improve efficiency and automate operations, it also introduces a broad range of security challenges. s IoT devices become more embedded in daily business processes—from smart sensors to connected devices in the industrial IoT (IIoT)—they serve as new entry points for cybercriminals, making IoT security a critical priority for MSPs and their clients.
MSP action plan: MSPs need to adopt specialized IoT security measures, such as anomaly detection and edge security, including anomaly detection and edge security, to protect their clients’ networks from new attack vectors.
7. Microsoft’s role in cybersecurity
In 2025, Microsoft will continue to be a key player in the cybersecurity landscape. With the growth of Azure and its enhanced security capabilities, including AI-powered security tools and quantum-resistant encryption. Products like Office Protect and Microsoft 365 Copilot will also play a significant role in securing cloud environments, automating threat detection, and supporting the transition to AI-enhanced workflows.
MSP action plan: MSPs should prioritize integrating Microsoft’s solutions into their offerings.
A cybersecurity checklist for MSPs in 2025
To navigate these trends, here’s a quick checklist MSPs can use to ensure success:
- AI-powered security tools
- Actionable step: Invest in AI-driven threat detection platforms like Darktrace or SentinelOne, which provide real-time security analytics and autonomous response capabilities.
- Why it matters: AI-powered tools can significantly reduce response time to emerging threats, improving overall security posture.
- Zero-trust architecture
- Actionable step: Implement tools like Okta or Zscaler for identity and access management (IAM) to ensure that every user and device is verified continuously.
- Why it matters: Zero-trust ensures that no one, even those inside your network, is automatically trusted, mitigating risks from both external and internal threats.
- Ransomware defenses
- Actionable step: Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions from vendors like CrowdStrike or Sophos, alongside offsite backup systems.
- Why it matters: Ransomware can cripple businesses—this layered defense ensures that clients are not only protected but can also recover quickly.
- Supply chain security
- Actionable step: Regularly audit third-party vendors for security compliance and implement a robust Vendor Risk Management program using tools like Prevalent or BitSight.
- Why it matters: Supply chain vulnerabilities are increasingly targeted. By ensuring the security of your vendor relationships, you prevent these risks from affecting your clients.
- Employee awareness and continuous training
- Actionable step: Schedule monthly cybersecurity awareness training sessions with platforms like KnowBe4 or Proofpoint to keep employees up-to-date on the latest phishing and social engineering threats.
- Why it matters: Continuous training builds a security-conscious culture, significantly reducing the likelihood of a successful attack due to human error.
- Remote work security
- Actionable step: Implement secure VPNs and multi-factor authentication (MFA) using tools like Cisco Duo or Microsoft Authenticator for all remote workers.
- Why it matters: As more teams work remotely, ensuring secure access to company resources is critical in mitigating vulnerabilities from compromised devices.
- Incident response planning
- Actionable step: Develop a playbook for different types of security incidents and run tabletop exercises quarterly to ensure staff readiness. Consider using tools like PagerDuty for alerting and coordination.
- Why it matters: Being prepared for an incident is key to minimizing damage—clear steps allow teams to act quickly and decisively when needed.
- Data sovereignty and compliance
- Actionable step: Use compliance management platforms like OneTrust or VComply to automate data protection audits and ensure GDPR and CCPA compliance.
- Why it matters: Data regulations are constantly evolving, and automated tools make it easier for MSPs to stay compliant, avoiding costly fines.
- Quantum-ready encryption
- Actionable step: Start implementing quantum-resistant encryption protocols such as lattice-based encryption with tools from PQShield or post-quantum cryptographic libraries.
- Why it matters: With the advent of quantum computing, traditional encryption methods will become obsolete. Quantum-ready encryption ensures that your data remains protected long-term.
- Cloud-native security solutions
- Actionable step: Leverage cloud-native security platforms such as Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud or Check Point CloudGuard for comprehensive protection in multi-cloud environments.
- Why it matters: As businesses continue to migrate to the cloud, native cloud security tools integrate seamlessly with cloud infrastructures, providing scalable and agile protection.
These predictions highlight how quickly cybersecurity is changing and why it’s important for businesses to plan ahead. Cybersecurity isn’t just a technical challenge—it’s a human one. Staying informed and “mission ready” will be essential for organizations to decrease risk and help better protect assets. By understanding the evolving threat landscape and taking decisive action, businesses can protect their assets and position themselves as leaders.
The digital frontier of 2025 holds immense potential for those prepared to embrace its challenges and leverage cutting-edge advancements, such as quantum computing and AI, to redefine cybersecurity solutions. By focusing on both current risk mitigation and future challenges, businesses can build stronger defenses and stay ahead of potential cyberattacks.
