Three Cybersecurity Risks to Watch Out for in 2025

1. Browser Plugin Risks: The Silent Threat

Organizations must adopt proactive measures to mitigate the risk posed by browser plugins. This includes rigorous vetting of plugins, similar to comprehensive vendor risk assessments (VRAs). From an operational perspective, a stronger defense involves enforcing corporate-managed browsers, blocking all plugins by default, and approving only verified plugins through a controlled whitelist. It is essential to exercise caution when it comes to open-source plugins, as they can pose significant risks to an organization’s security posture.

Prediction: At the time of writing, it was announced that around 16 Chrome extensions were compromised, exposing over 600,000 users to potential risks. This is just the beginning, and I expect this to get exponentially worse in 2025-2026, mainly due to the growth of AI plugins. Do you truly have full control of browser plugin risks in your organization? If you don’t, it’s best that you get started.

2. Agentic AI Risks: Rogue Robots

The growth of Agentic AI—systems capable of autonomous decision-making—presents significant risks as adoption scales in 2025. Companies and staff could be eager to deploy Agentic-AI bots to streamline workflows and execute tasks at scale, but the potential for these systems to go rogue is a looming threat. Adversarial attacks and misaligned optimization can turn these bots into liabilities.

For example, attackers could manipulate reinforcement learning algorithms to issue unsafe instructions or hijack feedback loops, exploiting workflows for harmful purposes. In one scenario, an AI managing industrial machinery could be manipulated to overload systems or halt operations entirely, creating safety hazards and operational shutdowns. We are still at the very early stages of this, and companies need to have rigorous code reviews, regular pen-testing, and routine audits to ensure the integrity of the system.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have provided good frameworks to follow, as well as ISACA with its AI Audit toolkits; expect more content in 2025.

3. Other Risks to Watch Out For

While the above-mentioned risks are significant, they are not the only ones to be aware of. Other potential threats include:

• Data Loss and Breaches: As data becomes increasingly digital, the risk of data loss and breaches grows. It is essential to implement robust data protection measures, such as encryption, access controls, and regular backups.
• Ransomware and Malware Attacks: Ransomware and malware attacks can have devastating consequences, including data loss, system downtime, and reputational damage. It is crucial to implement robust security measures, such as firewalls, antivirus software, and regular software updates.
• Human Error: Human error remains one of the most significant cybersecurity threats. It is essential to educate employees on cybersecurity best practices, implement robust training programs, and conduct regular security awareness training.

Conclusion

The risks mentioned above are just a few of the many threats that organizations will face in 2025. It is crucial for organizations to be proactive in their approach to cybersecurity, implementing robust measures to mitigate these risks and protect their data and systems. By doing so, organizations can ensure the continued success and security of their operations.

FAQs

• What is the best way to mitigate browser plugin risks? The best way to mitigate browser plugin risks is to implement rigorous vetting of plugins, similar to comprehensive vendor risk assessments (VRAs). This includes enforcing corporate-managed browsers, blocking all plugins by default, and approving only verified plugins through a controlled whitelist.
• What is Agentic AI? Agentic AI refers to systems capable of autonomous decision-making. While these systems have the potential to streamline workflows and execute tasks at scale, they also pose significant risks if not properly secured.
• How can I protect against data loss and breaches? To protect against data loss and breaches, it is essential to implement robust data protection measures, such as encryption, access controls, and regular backups. It is also crucial to educate employees on cybersecurity best practices and implement robust training programs.