Ethical Hacking News
Recent data from Picus Labs' Red Report 2025 suggests that the hype surrounding AI-driven attacks may be overstated. Instead, tried-and-true tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) remain the dominant force in the cyber threat landscape. Learn more about the most critical findings and trends shaping the year's most deployed adversarial campaigns and what steps cybersecurity teams need to take to respond to them.
The hype around AI-driven cyber attacks may be overstated, according to recent data from Picus Labs' Red Report 2025. Adversaries are sticking to tried-and-true tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that have proven effective in the past. Credential theft is a significant concern, with attackers focusing on password stores, browser-stored credentials, and cached logins. Modern infostealer malware is a growing threat, orchestrating multi-stage heists using stealth, automation, and persistence. The use of top 10 MITRE ATT&CK techniques remains widespread among adversaries. Cybersecurity teams should focus on identifying and addressing critical gaps in their defenses rather than prioritizing AI-driven threats.
Cybersecurity experts have long touted artificial intelligence (AI) as a game-changing force in the fight against cyber threats. However, recent data from Picus Labs' Red Report 2025 suggests that the hype may be overstated, at least for now. Despite the media frenzy surrounding AI-driven attacks, the actual threat landscape remains dominated by tried-and-true tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
In fact, the data from the Red Report 2025 shows that there has been no significant surge in AI-driven attacks. Instead, adversaries have continued to innovate and stick to a core set of TTPs that have proven effective in the past. This includes the use of credential theft, modern infostealer malware, and exfiltration techniques to breach networks and steal sensitive data.
One area where attackers are seeing significant gains is in credential theft. According to the Red Report 2025, attackers are increasing their focus on password stores, browser-stored credentials, and cached logins, leveraging stolen keys to escalate privileges and spread within networks. This threefold jump underscores the urgent need for ongoing and robust credential management combined with proactive threat detection.
Another area of concern is the rise of modern infostealer malware. These types of malware are orchestrating multi-stage heists blending stealth, automation, and persistence. With legitimate processes cloaking malicious operations and actual day-to-day network traffic hiding nefarious data uploads, bad actors can exfiltrate data right under your security team's proverbial nose, no Hollywood-style "smash-and-grab" needed.
The use of top 10 MITRE ATT&CK techniques remains widespread among adversaries. Despite the expansive framework provided by MITRE ATT&CK, most attackers stick to a core set of TTPs. Among the Top 10 ATT&CK techniques provided in the Red Report, exfiltration and stealth techniques remain the most used.
In light of these findings, cybersecurity teams are being advised to focus on identifying and addressing critical gaps in their defenses rather than fixating on the potential influence of AI. By prioritizing tried-and-true TTPs and implementing robust security measures such as credential management and proactive threat detection, organizations can effectively counter the most common threats and protect themselves against modern infostealer malware.
Related Information:
https://thehackernews.com/2025/02/debunking-ai-hype-inside-real-hacker.html
Published: Tue Feb 18 08:13:22 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
