Quorum Cyber just dropped its Global Cyber Risk Outlook Report 2025, focusing on how nation-state cyber activities, especially from China, are changing. The report forecasts an uptick in China’s cyber espionage in 2025. Expect attacks on Western critical national infrastructure, intellectual property, and sensitive corporate data. It also points out that China is using AI-driven cyber tools to pull off sophisticated operations and dodge detection.
Concerns mount over platforms like DeepSeek, which reportedly allows user data to be stored on servers in China. Under local laws, this data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government. Cybersecurity experts found that DeepSeek has technology to send user data to China Mobile, a state-owned company. This worry has pushed US government agencies to ban DeepSeek for their personnel due to fears of data interception, including keystrokes and IP addresses. For chief information security officers (CISOs), this is a wake-up call about the risks from foreign threats.
So, what can CISOs and security leaders do about these risks? Here are some practical steps:
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Adopt a Zero-Trust Security Model: Treat every access request as suspect. Verify connectivity with strong authentication like multi-factor authentication (MFA). Authenticate and authorize users, devices, and applications based on solid conditional access policies. Limit privileged access and implement data protection controls linked to classification policies while assuming that breaches could happen.
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Strengthen Supply Chain Security: Attackers often target the supply chain. Conduct thorough risk assessments for third-party vendors, especially critical ones. Set clear security obligations in contracts to maintain strong cybersecurity programs and retain audit rights. Keep an eye on supplier connections to spot any suspicious activity.
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Enhance Threat Intelligence, Monitoring, and Response: Revamp threat management efforts to tackle espionage risks. Maintain cyber threat intelligence services that track state-sponsored actors. Constantly check for vulnerabilities in the system, monitor the digital landscape, and implement 24/7 threat detection and response. Use automation, including AI technologies, to accelerate security processes.
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Implement AI and Data Governance Practices: As AI becomes more common in workplaces, focus on managing AI securely. Create clear policies for using AI and data, ensuring internal models meet strict security standards. Check third-party AI tools for compliance and set up strong controls to prevent unauthorized data transfer or manipulation.
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Educate Employees on AI Risks: With AI tools spreading quickly, make sure employees understand the risks. Conduct regular training on how to use AI responsibly and create guidelines to keep sensitive data out of public AI models.
- Test and Improve Incident Response Readiness: Given the cleverness of nation-state actors, it’s critical to practice response strategies. Run regular tabletop exercises that simulate state-sponsored attacks and conduct red team/blue team drills to stress-test security defenses. Ensure there are updated escalation protocols and contact lists for emergencies.
As CISOs and security leaders tackle the challenges of this AI-enhanced cyber threat landscape, a strategic approach, advanced security measures, and regularly practiced incident response will be key to defending against industrial espionage. Staying on top of these growing risks will help organizations maintain their resilience in an increasingly hostile digital world.