Ontinue warns of rising identity-based cyberattacks

A new threat intelligence report from Ontinue highlights a shift in cyberattacks for 2025, with adversaries increasingly targeting identity systems while reviving older tactics like USB-delivered malware, according to TechNadu.

The report found nearly 40% of Azure intrusions relied on layered persistence methods, and one in five incidents involved token replay to bypass multi-factor authentication, extending attacker dwell times in cloud environments to over three weeks.

Globally, 4,071 breaches were tied to 90 ransomware groups, led by Akira, Qilin, and CL0P, with the services, manufacturing, and IT sectors hit hardest. Ontinue researchers also noted that over 70% of malicious attachments that bypassed email security filters were unconventional file types, including SVG and IMG, often used in advanced phishing campaigns.

Experts warned that attackers are combining sophisticated identity-based methods with human-factor weaknesses, as evidenced by a 27% rise in USB malware. Security leaders advise tightening controls, eliminating identity silos, and reinforcing user awareness to counter these evolving threats.