As we approach 2025, the rate of cybersecurity threats will reach staggering new heights. With global cybercrime damages projected to hit $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, more than triple the damage 10 years ago, companies face immense pressure to evolve their security strategies. From the rise of AI-driven attacks to the complexities of hybrid cloud security, companies must manage increasingly sophisticated threats, often under limited budgets and with high volumes of data to process.
Drawing on the experiences of our community and clients, as well as current data and industry shifts, we at DefectDojo have identified the top trends cybersecurity professionals need to know about going into 2025. These insights emphasize the growing importance of automation, deeper integration of open-source tools, and a shift toward zero-trust models. As teams grapple with these challenges, our forecast can help guide priorities, streamline workflows, and prepare security professionals for what lies ahead.
Here’s a look at the top trends we expect to shape the industry in the coming year:
With cyber threats growing more complex, AI-powered automation will become essential in reducing the burden on security teams. Machine learning and AI enhance up to 50% of cybersecurity tasks, including threat detection and incident response. By automating repetitive and low-level tasks, teams can shift their focus to strategic initiatives, improving overall security posture. At DefectDojo, we’ve seen AI, particularly machine learning (ML), excel in areas like deduplication, where its ability to process and consolidate repetitive data far surpasses manual efforts. By applying advanced reasoning, ML effectively weeds out duplicates and learns from human feedback to classify alerts more accurately over time, reducing false positives and escalating real threats. As companies continue to adopt AI-driven vulnerability management platforms, they can leverage these strengths not only to boost efficiency but also to implement proactive and scalable security strategies.
As tech stacks grow more complex and hybrid cloud environments become the norm, effective vulnerability management is becoming a cornerstone of application security. Unlike siloed approaches, vulnerability management focuses on identifying, prioritizing, and remediating weaknesses across an organization's applications and infrastructure in a continuous and proactive manner. Companies are increasingly adopting tools that integrate seamlessly with DevSecOps workflows, consolidate vulnerability data, and offer actionable insights at scale. DefectDojo’s open-source platform is designed to meet these needs, empowering organizations to streamline vulnerability management processes and strengthen their security posture through enhanced visibility and efficiency.
Open-source software now comprises up to 90% of modern applications — meaning one vulnerability could put many applications at risk. Additionally, vulnerabilities in open-source components have skyrocketed, underscoring the need for dedicated tools to monitor, assess, and mitigate these risks. We expect more teams to embrace open-source security solutions to quickly upgrade continuous monitoring, automated alert, and collaborative remediation capabilities. The open-source DefectDojo community has continually grown, underscoring the increasing need for open-source solutions in application security. Platforms like DefectDojo are uniquely positioned to support this shift, empowering teams to manage their open-source dependencies with greater transparency and control.
As companies embrace remote work and cloud-based solutions, the traditional network perimeter has all but disappeared. Enter zero-trust architecture, an approach where no user or device is trusted by default. Zero trust is set to become the new baseline for security architecture, requiring robust identity verification, access control, and continuous monitoring. In 2025, we foresee this model not only becoming mainstream but driving the need for integrated platforms that can enforce zero-trust principles across application security workflows.
The introduction of new data privacy laws, such as the EU’s Digital Services Act and California’s CPRA, is driving the demand for security solutions that prioritize data protection by design. As a result, companies must adopt tools that go beyond basic compliance checklists and actively embed privacy into their applications and data processing. DefectDojo empowers teams to meet evolving regulatory requirements with features that streamline tracking, auditing, and reporting, all while ensuring data privacy standards are upheld.
Looking ahead to 2025, security teams have the opportunity to strengthen their defenses and stay ahead of emerging threats. By proactively addressing these shifts, organizations can avoid falling victim to the growing risks of data breaches, financial loss, and reputational harm. At DefectDojo, our New Year's resolution is the same as it is every year: empowering security teams around the world to meet new challenges head-on and build a more secure digital future.