Dataminr report: Cyber risk shifted in 2025 with increased threat actor activity and mega-loss events

2025 marked a significant structural shift in cyber risk, characterized by a surge in threat actor activity, accelerated identity-based intrusions, and a rise in "mega-loss" events. Dataminr's 2026 Cyber Threat Landscape Report revealed a 225% increase in average monthly threat actor alerts compared to 2024, as covered by Silicon Angle.

The report tracked over 5,000 threat actors and logged more than 18,000 ransomware alerts, alongside over 2 million domain impersonation incidents. Identity emerged as the primary attack surface, with nearly 30% of intrusions leveraging valid credentials, facilitated by an 84% rise in infostealer malware and AI-enhanced social engineering. While ransomware volumes stabilized, single-incident losses grew substantially, with clusters of events exceeding $100 million and even $1 billion. Organizations faced fewer, but more systemic, multi-vector attacks combining credential theft, data exfiltration, and operational disruption. Supply chain risks also intensified, with one in four breaches exploiting third-party vulnerabilities.

The report concludes that the current threat landscape's pace and scale necessitate purpose-built AI platforms to manage the chaos and reduce dwell time, preventing catastrophic losses. Interconnected intelligence and AI are deemed critical for enterprise and government security teams to navigate the evolving cyber threat landscape effectively.

Source: Silicon Angle