Hacktivists and Cyber Threats Take Center Stage in Security Navigator 2025 Report by Orange Cyberdefense

Hacktivists and Cyber Threats Take Center Stage in Security Navigator 2025 Report by Orange Cyberdefense

(IN BRIEF) Orange Cyberdefense’s Security Navigator 2025 report highlights the intensifying cyber threat landscape, driven by geopolitical tensions, rising hacktivism, and the dual-edged role of AI. A pro-Russian hacktivist group has launched over 6,600 attacks since 2022, primarily targeting Europe with cognitive attacks aimed at undermining public trust and institutions. Hacktivists are increasingly targeting operational technology (OT) systems, with 46% of OT attacks resulting in control manipulation, posing significant risks to critical sectors like utilities and healthcare. Cyber extortion (Cy-X) continues to grow, especially against small and medium-sized businesses, which saw a 53% year-on-year increase in incidents. The healthcare sector and industries like manufacturing and professional services are also heavily targeted. AI is reshaping cybersecurity, enhancing threat detection but also enabling sophisticated phishing and cognitive attacks. The report calls for stronger defenses, coordinated strategies, and proactive measures to counter these evolving threats.

(PRESS RELEASE) PARIS, 5-Dec-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Orange Cyberdefense, Europe’s leading cybersecurity services provider and a key division of Orange, has unveiled its latest report, the Security Navigator 2025. This comprehensive analysis sheds light on the evolving cyber threat landscape, highlighting geopolitical influences, rising cyber extortion, and the dual-edged role of artificial intelligence in modern cybersecurity. Authored by the expert team at Orange Cyberdefense, the report emphasizes the pressing need for European organizations to bolster defenses against increasingly sophisticated and politically motivated cyber-attacks.

Key Findings and Trends

The report identifies Europe as a prime target of a prolific pro-Russian hacktivist group that has executed over 6,600 attacks since March 2022. Notably, 96% of these incidents were aimed at European countries, with Ukraine, Czech Republic, Spain, Poland, and Italy bearing the brunt of the assaults. This hacktivist group is redefining the threat landscape, shifting its focus from purely technical disruptions to more cognitive attacks that aim to manipulate public perception and erode trust in societal institutions.

Hacktivists are also making significant inroads into operational technology (OT) systems. These systems, critical for sectors like energy, healthcare, and transportation, have become vulnerable to attacks traditionally associated with state actors. Alarmingly, 46% of OT-targeted attacks led to the manipulation of physical processes, with the utilities sector emerging as a primary target.

North America, while less affected by hacktivist campaigns, remains a hotspot for financially motivated cyber extortion (Cy-X). The region saw a 25% year-on-year increase in Cy-X cases, with the United States experiencing nearly half of all OT attacks globally.

Cyber Extortion’s Expanding Reach

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have seen an alarming rise in cyber extortion incidents, with small businesses experiencing a 53% year-on-year increase. This uptick is exacerbated by the phenomenon of “revictimization,” where stolen data is recycled across multiple campaigns. Such attacks not only impose significant financial costs but also ripple through supply chains, impacting larger organizations.

The healthcare sector has witnessed a disturbing 50% increase in targeted attacks, marking a decline in the ethical restraint hackers once showed toward this industry. Other sectors, including manufacturing, professional services, and wholesale trade, also reported sharp increases in Cy-X incidents.

AI: A Double-Edged Sword

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing cybersecurity, with its applications spanning from enhanced threat detection to creating realistic phishing campaigns. Threat actors, including state-sponsored groups, are leveraging generative AI (GenAI) to deploy deepfakes and other cognitive attack tools. While AI strengthens defensive capabilities by identifying advanced threats more efficiently, vulnerabilities in AI-driven systems pose new risks, necessitating stringent access controls and robust education on data security.

A Strategic Call to Action

Hugues Foulon, CEO of Orange Cyberdefense, underscored the urgency of collective action, stating, “Cyber threats are an evolving barometer of geopolitical tension. The Security Navigator 2025 offers critical insights into the interplay between these disruptions and societal impacts, reinforcing the need for coordinated, resilient cybersecurity measures.”

Charl van der Walt, Head of Security Research at Orange Cyberdefense, echoed these concerns, emphasizing that today’s cyber threats exhibit an unprecedented level of cynicism and intent to harm.

About the Security Navigator

The Security Navigator draws on insights from over 135,000 security events across 160 countries, including data from 13,308 cyber extortion investigations conducted since 2020. With intelligence gathered from Orange Cyberdefense’s 32 operational security centers worldwide, the report provides a granular view of cybercrime mechanisms and offers actionable recommendations for enhancing resilience.

As organizations navigate an increasingly hostile cyber environment, the Security Navigator 2025 serves as both a diagnostic tool and a strategic guide, offering concrete methods for detecting attacks early, mitigating risks, and responding effectively.

Download the full report here: Security Navigator 2025

About Orange Cyberdefense

Orange Cyberdefense is at the forefront of cybersecurity innovation, protecting the digital lifecycles of over 9,000 enterprises globally. With 30 years of experience, a dedicated team of 3,000 experts, and 36 global detection centers, the organization is committed to fostering a safer digital society.

About Orange
Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with revenues of 39.7 billion euros in 2023 and 128,000 employees worldwide at 30 September 2024, including 71,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 292 million customers worldwide at 30 September 2024, including 253 million mobile customers and 22 million fixed broadband customers. These figures have been restated to account for the deconsolidation of certain activities in Spain following the creation of MASORANGE. The Group is present in 26 countries (including non-consolidated countries). Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business. In February 2023, the Group presented its strategic plan “Lead the Future”, built on a new business model and guided by responsibility and efficiency. “Lead the Future” capitalizes on network excellence to reinforce Orange’s leadership in service quality.

Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA).

For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.orange.com, www.orangebusiness.com and the Orange News app or to follow us on X: @orangegrouppr. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.

Media Contact:

Emma Goodwin
emma.goodwin@orange.com

SOURCE: Orange