Our team’s hot takes on cybersecurity in 2025

2025 is here—what should we expect?

As the new year kicks off, it’s only natural to start thinking about what’s ahead and make predictions. And so, we reached out to a few top experts on the NordPass team to find out what they think is coming in cybersecurity in 2025. The answers we got were not only varied and engaging but also unexpected and, at times, controversial. Here’s what they had to say:

Prediction #1—Jonas Karklys, CEO of NordPass

“Cybersecurity tools like password managers will help people reduce digital anxiety.”

“With AI adoption booming, fake news spreading like wildfire, and cyber threats becoming more sophisticated by the day, it’s no surprise that people feel overwhelmed and vulnerable online. The good news? Cybersecurity tools, like NordPass, are already providing significant support, making it much easier to manage accounts, protect sensitive data, and stay in control of who has access to their information.

As these solutions continue to evolve to tackle the latest challenges head-on, like AI-powered phishing or 5G network vulnerabilities, they’ll empower people to face the digital world with more confidence and truly take charge of their online lives. The digital world should be a place where everyone can be themselves and realize their potential—not a place where they’re constantly worried about what’s around every corner. Let’s make that happen.”

Prediction #2—Marvin Petzolt, Lead Security Architect at NordPass

“AI will make scams much more realistic.”

“In recent years, chatbots have become more and more lifelike, and now, the new models are even adding emotions to their responses. Because of this, I predict that, in 2025, we’ll see a rise in AI-powered phishing and scam attacks. AI makes it incredibly easy to pull information from social media that criminals can use to create super convincing scams on a much larger scale.

Picture this: you get a phone call, and the voice on the other end sounds just like someone you know—maybe a relative or an old friend. They say they urgently need help: emergency funds, rent money, or money for medical bills. These kinds of scams will start happening more often, and without the right security measures, some people could easily be fooled on a level we’ve never seen before.

That’s why it’s going to be more important than ever to be cautious about what we share online—keeping it private and to a minimum.”

Prediction #3—Karolis Arbaciauskas, Head of Product & Business Development at NordPass

“Passwords will endure and grow in volume.”

“While passwordless authentication methods, like passkeys, are starting to gain momentum, it’ll take some time for them to catch on across consumer and shadow IT sectors. So, my prediction for 2025 is that passwords will still play a major role in authentication.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most people had around 70 passwords. But with remote work becoming the norm and more people using collaboration and streaming services, that number went up to about 170 by 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, with more AI-driven tools requiring authentication, we’re likely to hit an average of 190 passwords per user. Unfortunately, it also means that weak, reused, or stolen passwords will still make up around 70–80% of cyberattacks—but even that could rise in 2025. The fact remains that this growing number of passwords highlights the need for better password management for all of us.”

Prediction #4—Jolanta Balciene, Head of Product Marketing at NordPass

“Cybersecurity will be seen even more as a business differentiator.”

“No matter which cybersecurity market report you look at—whether it’s from Gartner, IBM, or McKinsey—you’ll see that this sector is growing at a very high speed. Due to the increasing number of cyber threats, more companies are now investing in cybersecurity products and services to protect their IT infrastructures and their customers' data. And so, I believe that in 2025, cybersecurity will stand out even more as a key business asset.

What I mean by that is that organizations all around the world will not only invest more in cybersecurity tools to defend themselves against threats like AI-powered phishing, ransomware, and malware, but they will also position cybersecurity itself as a key value proposition. As a result, customers will more actively seek out companies that have known certifications and cybersecurity measures in place—simply to make sure they are interacting with brands that prioritize their security.”

Prediction #5—Ieva Soblickaite, CPO at NordPass

“Political tensions may impact how cybersecurity is managed.”

“The relationship between cybersecurity and the global political climate has definitely gotten more complicated over the last few years. Many governments are struggling to match the pace of technological growth, often falling behind when it comes to implementing laws that protect digital infrastructure—which can leave critical systems exposed.

At the same time, the rise of controversial political powers is raising concerns about things like digital surveillance, censorship, and information manipulation. There’s a fear they might try to control internet access, limit free speech, and use cyber tools to go after their opposition.

On top of that, rising geopolitical tensions and military conflicts are making things worse, with some governments using cyberattacks as part of their military strategy. As a result, we’re now seeing more sophisticated attacks aimed at critical infrastructures and democratic organizations, which shows that cybersecurity isn’t just a technical challenge anymore, but a major issue in global diplomacy.

So, in 2025, I’m afraid we’ll likely see these problems grow. We’ll face more risks to critical systems, more manipulation of information, and more cyberattacks targeting democratic institutions. And while we do have some data privacy regulations in place right now, those could change at any time. Therefore, it’s in each of us to take steps to protect our data and minimize the risk of it being used against us.”

Prediction #6—Ignas Valancius, Head of Engineering at NordPass

“The time to crack passwords will be even shorter.”

“I’m sure AI has come up in a lot of predictions, and mine won’t be any different, so here goes: in 2025, the time it takes to guess, social engineer, or brute force passwords is going to drop dramatically, due to AI tools in the hands of cybercriminals.

Based on our own “Top 200 Most Common Passwords” research, we know that simple passwords like "123456" or "qwerty" can be cracked in under a second. The more complex the password, the longer it takes, but with the increasing computing power behind AI, hackers will be able to try many more combinations in less time. So even more complex passwords will be cracked faster. I’m not saying that super long, random 18-character passwords are at immediate risk, but shorter ones? They could be in danger.

And let’s not forget that the more people use AI, the more it learns about them. This is to say that many people already share sensitive data with “free” AI tools to get things done, but here’s the catch—nothing’s really “free.” That data gets used for training, tracking, and, even worse, creating detailed profiles for more targeted attacks. So, as we move forward, it’s crucial to keep our passwords long and strong, and tread carefully as we interact with AI tools.”

Prediction #7—Jonas Karklys, CEO of NordPass

“Passkeys will get more recognition.”

“In 2024, we saw passkeys get massive support from major players like Google, Amazon, PayPal, and Facebook, who backed them as the next step beyond traditional passwords. Looking at the adoption rate, I believe that in 2025, even more companies will jump on the passwordless bandwagon, making it easier for their users to adopt passkeys across their online accounts.

The reasons are simple: passkeys offer better security, helping to prevent many common incidents, and they’re much easier to use than typing out long, complex passwords. Today, it’s all about security and convenience, and if there’s a solution that provides both, it’s a winner. One thing’s for certain—NordPass will be there not only to continue supporting passkeys but also to help other organizations adopt passwordless technology through our services like Authopia.”

Summary

The NordPass team’s predictions for 2025 highlight both the challenges and opportunities of cybersecurity, showing just how crucial it will be for both individuals and businesses. While we’d all love to see the threats disappear, it’s certain they’ll only become more complex. That means it’s up to us to step up our game and protect our digital valuables.

If you're looking for a way to do that, we encourage you to try NordPass and see how it can level up your cybersecurity and overall online experience. With the free 14-day trial, you can get a good sense of how it’ll keep your data safe in 2025 and beyond. The choice is yours!