AI-driven Attacks to Become Faster, More Sophisticated, and Harder to Detect by 2026, New Delinea Report Shows

/EIN News/ -- SAN FRANCISCO, April 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Delinea, a leading provider of solutions for securing human and machine identities through centralized authorization, today released its inaugural Cybersecurity and the AI Threat Landscape report. The report, based on exclusive Delinea Labs research and an analysis of several third-party studies and real-world cyber incidents, reveals critical insights into the rapidly evolving threat landscape. With AI reshaping both attack and defense strategies, the findings underscore the urgent need for organizations to adapt their security measures to counter AI-driven threats.

The report uncovers a sharp rise in attacks targeting non-human identities (NHIs), such as service accounts, APIs, and machine identities. Delinea’s research reveals that for every human identity, there are currently 46 NHIs, a number expected to exceed 45 billion by 2025. Alarmingly, over 70% of NHIs are not rotated within recommended timeframes, with an average cycle of 627 days, far exceeding security best practices. Additionally, 97% of organizations expose their NHIs to third-party vendors, significantly increasing the risk of unauthorized access.

“One of the biggest challenges identified in the report is the increasing targeting of non-human identities,” said Jon Kuhn, SVP of Product Management at Delinea. “For organizations, this shift means they are facing a massive and often ignored security gap. With the number of these machine identities expected to grow exponentially in the coming years as enterprises continue to rapidly adopt AI, the lack of proper credential management and the exposure of these identities to third parties creates serious vulnerabilities that cyber attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access to critical systems and data."

The resurgence of ransomware

The report also reveals a disturbing trend in ransomware attacks, which in 2024 became more sophisticated with the rise of double extortion tactics. Cybercriminals not only encrypt but also exfiltrate sensitive data, threatening to release it publicly unless a ransom is paid. Five ransomware groups — RansomHub, LockBit, Play, Akira, and Hunters — were responsible for over 36% of all ransomware incidents monitored by Delinea in 2024, totaling more than 5,700 attacks. Looking ahead, the report anticipates a surge in AI-driven phishing attacks, with cybercriminals using AI to craft increasingly convincing phishing emails, making it harder to distinguish legitimate communications from malicious ones.

“The rise in ransomware sophistication and the increasing prevalence of AI-driven attacks are undeniable trends in today’s cybersecurity landscape,” said Gal Diskin, Vice President of Threat & Research at Delinea. “Our research reveals that cybercriminals are increasingly using AI and powerful Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) tools to launch more targeted and scalable attacks, particularly around phishing and machine identities. To stay ahead, organizations must adapt their security strategies, focusing not just on advanced threat detection, but also foundational security controls and strengthening multi-factor authentication (MFA) to combat the growing threat of credential phishing.”

Delinea Labs, the research and development arm of Delinea, is at the forefront of analyzing emerging cybersecurity threats. Comprised of elite security researchers and threat intelligence experts, the team conducts in-depth studies of attack techniques and vulnerabilities, helping organizations stay ahead of the ever-evolving threat landscape. In addition to its cutting-edge security research, Delinea Labs also drives AI innovation, exploring how artificial intelligence can enhance threat detection, risk analysis, and identity security to further strengthen cybersecurity defenses.

To gain deeper insights into these emerging threats and how to protect your organization, download the full Cybersecurity and the AI Threat Landscape report today: https://delinea.com/resources/cybersecurity-ai-threat-landscape-report

About Delinea
Delinea is a pioneer in securing human and machine identities through intelligent, centralized authorization, empowering organizations to seamlessly govern their interactions across the modern enterprise. Leveraging AI-powered intelligence, Delinea’s leading cloud-native Identity Security Platform applies context throughout the entire identity lifecycle – across cloud and traditional infrastructure, data, SaaS applications, and AI. It is the only platform that enables you to discover all identities – including workforce, IT administrator, developers, and machines – assign appropriate access levels, detect irregularities, and respond to threats in real-time. With deployment in weeks, not months, 90% fewer resources to manage than the nearest competitor, and a 99.995% uptime, Delinea delivers robust security and operational efficiency without compromise. Learn more about Delinea on delinea.com, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

Media Contact
                    Justin Ordman
                    Corporate Communications Director
                    justin.ordman@delinea.com