IBM X-Force reports evolving threat landscape amid shifting tactics, marking rise in stealth and identity exploits

IBM released the 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. The IBM X-Force report noted that hackers openly trade exploits on the dark web to target critical infrastructure, while ransomware and infostealer operators exfiltrate millions of credentials from enterprises and extort victim organizations in multiple ways. Also, as businesses manage multiple cloud environments and boost AI adoption, attack surfaces expand and create new gaps in identity that attackers exploit to steal critical data.

“Cybercriminals are increasingly adopting stealthy tactics and prioritizing data theft over encryption and exploiting identities at scale. A surge in phishing emails delivering infostealer malware and credential phishing are fueling this trend, and may be attributed to attackers leveraging AI to scale distribution,” the IBM X-Force report identified. 

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