Cybersecurity threats surge in first half, report finds - SC Media

Threat actors have launched a deluge of cyberattacks during the first six months of 2025, resulting in record-high credential theft, ransomware, and data breach incidence, Cybernews reports. Information-stealing malware has pilfered 1.8 billion credentials between January and June, which is 800% higher than the previous year, with Lumma, RedLine, StealC, Vidar, and Agent Tesla being the most prolific strains, and India, the U.S., and Brazil being the most targeted countries, according to an analysis from Flashpoint. On the other hand, ransomware incidents rose 179% year-over-year, with manufacturing being the most targeted sector. Akira was the most active ransomware-as-a-service operation during the first half of 2025, which also saw the U.S. being the primary target of such intrusions. The U.S. was also the leading target of data breaches during the first half of the year. "2025 has brought an alarming acceleration in cyber threats. We've seen an 800% increase in credential theft via information-stealing malware, making 'identity' a dominant attack vector. Effective defense now demands proactive, comprehensive threat intelligence to protect what matters most," said Flashpoint Vice President of Cyber Threat Intelligence Operations Ian Gray.