Large-Scale Credential Theft Escalates, Threat Actors Pivot to Stealthier Tactics: IBM X-Force Threat Index 2025
Nearly half of all cyberattacks resulted in stolen data or credentials Identity abuse was the preferred entry point Asia Pacific represented more than one-third of attacks in 2024 Armonk, NY (Apr. 30, 2025) – IBM is pleased to announce the release of its 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, highlighting that cybercriminals continued to pivot to stealthier tactics, with lower-profile credential theft spiking, while ransomware attacks on enterprises declined. IBM X-Force observed an 84% increase in emails delivering infostealers in 2024 compared to the prior year, a method threat actors relied heavily on to scale identity attacks. The 2025 report tracks new and existing trends and attack patterns – pulling from incident response engagements, dark web and other threat intelligence sources. Some key findings in the 2025 report include: Critical infrastructure organizations accounted for 70% of all attacks that IBM X-Force responded to last year, with more than one quarter of these attacks caused by vulnerability exploitation. More cybercriminals opted to steal data (18%) than encrypt it (11%) as advanced detection technologies and increased law enforcement efforts pressure cybercriminals to adopt faster exit paths. Nearly one in three incidents observed in 2024 resulted in credential theft, as attackers invest in multiple...
