While phishing and ransomware dominate headlines, lesser-known cyber threats are quietly emerging and evolving—posing just as much risk to businesses. This article explores deepfake phishing, fileless malware, credential stuffing, and attacks on AI systems, helping readers understand these modern dangers and how to guard against them.
These days, it can be hard to keep up with the number of cyber threats that every business faces. Everyone is aware of threats like phishing, ransomware, and DDoS attacks, but what are some of the lesser-known threats? In recent times, there have been a number of lesser-known but equally dangerous threats to emerge that can cause significant damage to a company in a number of ways. Knowledge is power, so being aware of what these lesser-known threats are and how they can be avoided will be key moving forward. Interested? Read on to learn about a few of the lesser-known threats.
Deepfake Phishing
One form of phishing that is becoming increasingly prevalent and a huge cause for concern is deepfake phishing. Essentially, this involves using AI to create highly realistic and convincing audio and/or video content impersonating a trusted individual. For example, a malicious actor could create a video of what appears to be someone’s boss instructing them to reveal confidential information. This is a worrying trend to keep an eye on, and it is important to be cautious of unusual requests and use deepfake detection tools to be safe.
Fileless Malware
People are familiar with traditional malware that requires installing files on a system, but modern malware is a lot harder to detect. Fileless malware operates in memory, which makes it almost undetectable to conventional antivirus tools. These attacks use legitimate system tools like PowerShell and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to deliver malicious code directly into RAM. Fileless attacks can be used for espionage, data theft, and multi-stage intrusions. As these attacks can be hard to detect, it is wise to use managed detection and response services from experts like Red Canary. With advanced detection tools, your system can be monitored 24/7 so that threats are neutralised instantly and before they can cause damage.
Credential Stuffing
Credential stuffing is another form of cybercrime that is on the rise and driven by AI. This form of cybercrime involves the use of large databases of stolen usernames and passwords to gain access to accounts. AI-driven automation can be used to bypass security mechanisms such as CAPTCHAs, and tools can mimic human-like behaviour, which can make it challenging to detect. Therefore, it is important to monitor login anomalies closely and use MFA to add another layer of protection to your accounts.
Targeting AI Systems
AI has been a game-changer when it comes to both cybercrime and cybersecurity. One lesser-known threat to emerge in recent times has been cybercriminals targeting AI models that companies use for critical operations. This often involves “model poisoning”, which is used to corrupt training data to degrade AI performance. Compromising AI models can have wide-ranging repercussions for businesses, such as incorrect security alerts and incorrect financial forecasts.
These are a few of the lesser-known cyber threats to be aware of in 2025. These threats are likely to become more prominent in the years to come, which will make it harder for organisations to protect themselves. This is why you need to stay current and invest in high-quality cybersecurity solutions.
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