
Cybersecurity: A Leadership Issue
In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, cybersecurity challenges have transcended the confines of the security operations center (SOC) and have emerged as crucial concerns for organizational leadership. At the recent RSAC Conference, the SANS Institute highlighted that the most significant upcoming threats are not only technical but require strategic leadership engagement across all enterprise levels.
The Top Cyber Threats of 2025
This year’s top challenges pinpointed by SANS include:
- Authorization Sprawl
- ICS Ransomware
- Lack of Cloud Logging
- Regulatory Constraints on AI
- Operational Technology Vulnerabilities
Each of these threats underscores the necessity for a coordinated response that incorporates visibility and cross-departmental collaboration.
Understanding Authorization Sprawl
One of the significant threats identified is 'authorization sprawl', particularly in cloud environments. Joshua Wright, a SANS faculty fellow, emphasizes the issue of unrestricted permissions within SaaS applications, allowing malicious actors to exploit legitimate user credentials. A notable group, Scattered Spider, exemplifies this by leveraging such vulnerabilities to access critical network infrastructure easily. Wright advocates for implementing browser endpoint controls to enhance monitoring accuracy across these complex environments.
The Rise of ICS Ransomware
Tim Conway, SANS’s Technical Director for ICS and SCADA programs, brought attention to the growing threat of ransomware targeting critical infrastructure. Automation in operational technology (OT) environments, while beneficial for efficiency, creates vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers, leading to catastrophic service disruptions. Organizations must prioritize fortifying these systems against potential ransomware attacks.
Moving Forward: Strategic Response Needed
To address these escalating threats effectively, companies must adopt an integrated cybersecurity approach that fosters alignment between leadership and tech teams. A deep understanding of these issues will enable organizations to implement the necessary protocols to fortify against future attacks.
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