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Fortinet Report Warns of Record Surge in Automated Cyberattacks, Highlights Weaponization of AI by Threat Actors

Fortinet's 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report reveals a 16.7% increase in automated cyberattacks, with 36,000 scans per second targeting vulnerable protocols. The report highlights the weaponization of AI by cybercriminals, the rise of darknet marketplaces, and sector-specific targeting, particularly in manufacturing and retail. Fortinet urges organizations to adopt proactive cybersecurity strategies, including threat exposure management and monitoring of darknet forums, to combat these evolving threats.

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27 views2 pages

Fortinet Report Warns of Record Surge in Automated Cyberattacks, Highlights Weaponization of AI by Threat Actors

Fortinet's 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report reveals a 16.7% increase in automated cyberattacks, with 36,000 scans per second targeting vulnerable protocols. The report highlights the weaponization of AI by cybercriminals, the rise of darknet marketplaces, and sector-specific targeting, particularly in manufacturing and retail. Fortinet urges organizations to adopt proactive cybersecurity strategies, including threat exposure management and monitoring of darknet forums, to combat these evolving threats.

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kumarin74
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Fortinet report warns of record surge in automated cyberattacks, highlig... https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/secure-india/fo...

Fortinet report warns of record surge in automated


cyberattacks, highlights weaponization of AI by
threat ac..

Online Desk, ET Government

The report, based on extensive analysis of global cyberattack trends from 2024, indicates a 16.7%
year-on-year rise in automated scanning activities, reaching a staggering 36,000 scans per second
globally.

• ETGovernment

• Updated On May 5, 2025 at 05:25 PM IST

As cybercriminal tactics grow more advanced and accessible, FortiGuard Labs stresses
the urgency of adopting next-generation cybersecurity strategies.

BENGALURU: Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs has released its 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report,
revealing a dramatic escalation in cyber threats as adversaries increasingly weaponize artificial
intelligence, automation, and dark web marketplaces to target critical sectors and compromise

1 of 4 06-May-25, 2:59 PM
Fortinet report warns of record surge in automated cyberattacks, highlig... https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/secure-india/fo...

digital infrastructure at an unprecedented scale.

The report, based on extensive analysis of global cyberattack trends from 2024, indicates a 16.7%
year-on-year rise in automated scanning activities, reaching a staggering 36,000 scans per second
globally. These scans primarily targeted exposed protocols like SIP, RDP, and OT/IoT services,
marking a shift in strategy as cybercriminals aim to identify vulnerabilities early in the attack chain.

“Cybercriminals are accelerating their operations with AI and commoditized tools, rendering
traditional defenses insufficient,” said Derek Manky, Chief Security Strategist and Global VP Threat
Intelligence at Fortinet FortiGuard Labs. “Organizations must adopt proactive, intelligence-led
strategies leveraging AI, zero trust, and continuous threat exposure management to stay ahead.”

Key Threat Trends Identified in the Report:


Rise of AI-Powered Cybercrime: Tools like FraudGPT and BlackmailerV3 have made phishing
attacks more convincing and scalable. Threat actors are bypassing conventional security systems
with sophisticated AI-generated content.

Darknet Marketplaces Fuel Attacks: A 500% increase in stolen logs from infostealer malware and
over 1.7 billion compromised credentials were shared on underground forums. Initial access
brokers are selling credentials, RDP access, and admin panels as packaged services.

Sector-Specific Targeting: Manufacturing (17%), business services (11%), and retail (9%) were
among the most targeted sectors, with cybercriminals—especially Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS)
groups—focusing attacks on high-value industries.

Cloud and IoT Vulnerabilities: 70% of cloud breaches originated from login attempts from
unfamiliar geographies, highlighting gaps in identity and access management in cloud
environments.

Credentials as Cybercrime Currency: Over 100 billion compromised records circulated on darknet
forums in 2024 alone, with cybercriminals relying on “combo lists” to automate credential-stuffing
and hijack accounts.

CISO Advisory and Strategic Playbook


The report includes a dedicated “CISO Playbook for Adversary Defense,” recommending
organizations shift from reactive threat detection to proactive threat exposure management. It
emphasizes red teaming, attack surface monitoring, and risk-based patching using frameworks like
MITRE ATT&CK, EPSS, and CVSS.

Fortinet urges enterprises to monitor darknet forums for early warning signals, emulate adversary
behavior to test resilience, and reduce attack surface exposure by identifying misconfigurations,
leaked credentials, and exploitable weaknesses.

As cybercriminal tactics grow more advanced and accessible, FortiGuard Labs stresses the urgency
of adopting next-generation cybersecurity strategies. Their advisory services are designed to help
organizations fortify defenses preemptively, ensuring swift response and long-term resilience in an
increasingly hostile digital landscape.

• By Online Desk ,
• ETGovernment

• Published On May 5, 2025 at 05:25 PM IST

2 of 4 06-May-25, 2:59 PM

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