A Comprehensive Analysis Supply Chain Vulnerabili es and Cyber Threats 2025
A Global Security Perspec ve Geopoli cal Dimensions of Cyber Threats 2025
Andres Prieto Manager D&T Infra & OT Cyber Security
“We need to shift our thinking in cybersecurity. The goal should not be to prevent breaches, but to detect and respond to them as quickly as possible.”
Inanerawheredigitalthreatsevolveatan
unprecedentedpace,cybersecurityinnovationhas neverbeenmorecritical.TheCIOLookeditionof The 10 Cybersecurity Innovators Shaping the Digital World, 2025 spotlightsthevisionarieswhoareredefining howweprotectdata,infrastructure,andprivacyinan increasinglyconnectedworld.
Thisyear’shonoreesarenotjustsecurityexperts—they arepioneerswhopushtheboundariesofartificial intelligence,zero-trustframeworks,quantum-safe encryption,andproactivethreatintelligence.Their breakthroughsaresettingnewindustrystandards, safeguardingbusinessesandindividualsalikefromeversophisticatedcyberthreats.
Fromstartupfoundersdisruptingtraditionalsecurity paradigmstoindustryveteransdrivinglarge-scale enterpriseresilience,theseinnovatorsexemplifywhatit meanstobeonthecuttingedge.Theyaredeveloping solutionsthatdon’tjustreacttothreatsbutanticipateand neutralizethembeforetheycancauseharm.
Theircontributionsareinstrumentalinsecuringfinancial institutions,governmentsystems,healthcarenetworks,and theveryfoundationofourdigitaleconomy.
Asyouexploretheirjourneysandgame-changing technologies,wehopethiseditionservesasbothan inspirationandacalltoaction.Cybersecurityisnolonger justanITconcern—itisafundamentalpillaroftrustin ourdigitallives.Theinnovatorsfeaturedinthisissue remindusthatwithvision,collaboration,andrelentless innovation,wecanbuildasaferdigitalfutureforall.
Happy Reading!
08
14
18 A R T I C L E S
A Comprehensive Analysis Supply Chain Vulnerabili es and Cyber Threats 2025
C O N T E N T S C O V E R S T O R Y
A Global Security Perspec ve Geopoli cal Dimensions of Cyber Threats 2025
PoojaMBansal
Editor-in-Chief
CONTENT
Deputy Editor Anish Miller
Managing Editor Prince Bolton DESIGN
Visualizer Dave Bates
Art & Design Director Davis Mar n
Associate Designer Jameson Carl SALES
Senior Sales Manager Wilson T., Hunter D.
Customer Success Manager Nelson M.
Sales Execu ves Tim, Smith
TECHNICAL
Technical Head Peter Hayden
Technical Consultant Victor Collins
www facebook.com/ciolook/ www.x.com/ciolookmagazine
Email info@ciolook com For Subscrip on www.ciolook.com CONTACTUSON
Copyright © 2025 CIOLOOK, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmi ed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from CIOLOOK. Reprint rights remain solely with CIOLOOK.
Research Analyst Eric Smith
SEO Execu ve Alen Spencer
AaronWeismann CISO
MainLineHealth mainlinehealth.org
AndresPrieto ManagerD&TInfra &OTCyberSecurity
ConnieDuncan VP,ITSecurity
DavidAnders GlobalCISO
DennisHackney OTCybersecurity Practitioner
FelipeBonomo GlobalCyber SecurityManager
JasonCollins Director,OTCyber Security
PaulKaran CISO
StephenBennett GlobalCISO
ThomasFigueiredo CISO
Weismannisanaccomplishedcybersecurityexecutiveknown fordevelopingcomprehensivesecuritystrategiestoprotect organizationalassetsanddataintegrity
PrietoisaexperiencedinbridgingITandindustrialsystems, focusingoncybersecuritywithinoperationaltechnology environments. N/A
ExcelerateEnergy excelerateenergy.com
Ashurst ashurst.com
Chevron chevron.com
AlpargatasS.A. alpargatas.com.
Phillips66 phillips66.com
RoyHill royhill.com
Domino'sPizza EnterprisesLimited dominos.com
Firjan firjan.com
Duncanisastrategicleaderwithextensiveexpertisein safeguardinginformationassetsandimplementingrobust securityframeworksacrossorganizations.
Andersisaveteranincybersecurityleadership,specializingin riskassessmentandtheimplementationofadvancedsecurity solutionsworldwide.
Hackneyisaspecialistinoperationaltechnologycybersecurity, dedicatedtoenhancingsecuritymeasureswithincritical infrastructureenvironments.
Bonomoisaglobalmanagerwithafocusoncybersecurity, skilledindevelopingstrategiesthatenhancesecurity frameworksacrossdiverseindustries.
Collinsisaexpertinoperationaltechnologysecurity, committedtoadvancingcybersecuritypracticesandresilience inindustrialsectors.
Karanisaseasonedinformationsecurityleaderwithastrong focusonriskmanagementanddevelopingeffective cybersecuritypolicies.
Bennettisaglobalcybersecuritystrategistrecognizedfor leadinginitiativesthatenhanceorganizationalsecurityposture andresilienceagainstcyberthreats.
Figueiredoisanexperiencedcybersecurityprofessional dedicatedtoprotectinginformationsystemsthroughinnovative strategiesandpractices.
"Passion for cybersecurity drives innovation."
AndresPrieto’sjourneyintoOTcybersecuritywas
inspiredbyhisinterestincybersecurityandhis workexperienceintheOTenvironment.Earlyin hiscareer,heworkedextensivelyinIT,gainingexposureto networking,systemadministration,andcybersecurity principles.However,hiscareerpathledhimtoexplore OperationalTechnology(OT),wherehequicklyrealized thecriticalneedforcybersecurityinprotectingindustrial controlsystems(ICS).HisbackgroundinbothITandOT hasgivenhimauniqueperspectiveonhowtobridgethe gapbetweenthesetraditionallyseparatedomains.
AndresapproachesOTcybersecuritywithacomprehensive understandingofboththetechnicalchallengesandthe operationalconstraints,ensuringthatsecuritymeasures enhanceratherthanhinderindustrialprocesses.Hisability tointegrateITandOTknowledgeallowshimtodevelop robustsecuritystrategiesthatarebotheffectiveand practical,addressingtheuniqueneedsofindustrial environments.
Andresfindsthecomplexityanduniquenessofeach industrialenvironmentfascinating.UnliketraditionalIT systems,OTenvironmentsinvolvelegacyequipment, proprietaryprotocols,andstringentuptimerequirements, makingsecurityadelicatebalance.Thechallengeof securingcriticalinfrastructure—whereasecurityincident couldimpacthumansafety,environmentalintegrity,or nationalsecurity—addspressureandimportancetohis work.
Andresfindsitincrediblyrewardingtodevelopinnovative solutionsthatprotectthesesystemswhileensuring uninterruptedoperations.HisfascinationwithOTsecurity driveshimtocontinuouslyseekoutnewmethodsand technologiestoenhancetheprotectionofindustrial systems.Bystayingattheforefrontofcybersecurity advancements,Andresensuresthathisstrategiesarealways evolvingtomeetthelatestthreatsandchallenges.
Stayingaheadofemergingthreatsrequirescontinuous learningandactiveengagementwiththecybersecurity community Andresreliesonacombinationofindustry reports,threatintelligenceplatforms,andprofessional networking.SubscribingtosourceslikeCISA,MITRE ATT&CKforICS,andISACs(InformationSharingand
AnalysisCenters)keepshimupdatedonthelatestthreats. Healsoparticipatesincybersecurityconferences,training programs,andcollaborateswithindustrypeerstoexchange insights.
Additionally,“Anders’s hands-on experience with cybersecurity labs and simulations helps him stay prepared for evolving threats. he believes that staying informed is not just about keeping up with the latest news but also about understanding the underlying trends and patterns in cybersecurity”. Thisdeepunderstandingallowshimto anticipatepotentialthreatsanddevelopproactivemeasures tocounterthem.
BalancingtechnicalandhumanfactorsinOTsecurity requiresapeople-firstapproach.Manysecuritychallenges arisefromhumanerrors,lackofawareness,orresistanceto change.“Andres prioritizes cybersecurity awareness programs tailored to OT personnel, ensuring that engineers and operators understand security risks and best practices. Implementing user-friendly security measures, such as rolebased access controls and anomaly detection systems, also minimizes the risk of human error.”
BuildingstrongrelationshipswithOTteamsandinvolving theminsecurityplanningfosterscollaborationratherthan resistance.Heunderstandsthatthesuccessofcybersecurity measuresdependsonthepeoplewhoimplementandfollow them.Byfocusingoneducationandcollaboration,he ensuresthatsecurityprotocolsarenotonlyeffectivebut alsoembracedbytheentireorganization.
“Andres strongly believes in a proactive cybersecurity approach. Instead of merely responding to incidents, he focuses on risk assessment, threat modeling, and preventive controls.” Regularvulnerabilityassessments,penetration testing,andnetworksegmentationarekeystrategiesAndres implementstomitigaterisksbeforetheybecomeincidents. Additionally,implementingarobustSecurityOperations Center(SOC)withreal-timemonitoringenablesearly threatdetection.
Proactivesecuritynotonlyminimizesrisksbutalso enhancesoperationalresilience.Andres'sproactive approachinvolvescontinuouslyevaluatingandimproving securitymeasurestostayaheadofpotentialthreats.By anticipatingandaddressingvulnerabilitiesbeforetheycan beexploited,heensuresthatindustrialsystemsremain secureandresilientinthefaceofevolvingcyberthreats.
Automation,AI,andmachinelearningaretransformingOT securitybyenablingmoreefficientthreatdetectionand response.AI-drivenanomalydetectioncanidentify deviationsfromnormalindustrialprocesses,helpingdetect cyberthreatsthattraditionalmethodsmightmiss.However, integratingthesetechnologiesinOTrequirescareful considerationofreliability,accuracy,andimpactonrealtimeoperations.Inthefuture,AIwillplayacrucialrolein predictivemaintenanceandcybersecurity,makingOT environmentssmarterandmoresecure.
Andresisexcitedaboutthepotentialofthesetechnologies torevolutionizeOTsecurity.Hebelievesthatbyleveraging AIandmachinelearning,organizationscanachievea higherlevelofsecurityandoperationalefficiency, ultimatelyleadingtosaferandmorereliableindustrial systems.
ForyoungprofessionalsenteringOTcybersecurity,Andres advisesdevelopingastrongunderstandingofbothITand industrialsystems.Learningcybersecurityfundamentals, networking,andprogrammingisessential,butequally importantisgaininghands-onexperiencewithICS, SCADA,andindustrialprotocols.Certificationslike ISA/IEC62443canprovideastructuredlearningpath.
Mostimportantly,cultivatingamindsetofcontinuous learningandcuriositywillhelpnavigatetheevolving cybersecuritylandscape.“Andres emphasizes the importance of practical experience and encourages young professionals to seek out opportunities to work directly with industrial systems.” Bybuildingasolidfoundationinboth ITandOT,theycandeveloptheskillsneededtoaddressthe uniquechallengesofOTcybersecurity
OneofthebiggestchallengesAndresfacedwasbridging theculturalandtechnicalgapbetweenITandOTteams. Earlyinhiscareer,heencounteredresistancefromOT personnelwhoviewedITastheirenemy.Overcomingthis challengerequiredpatience,effectivecommunication,anda collaborativeapproach.Andreslearnedtobethetranslator betweenITandOT,listentooperationalconcerns,propose securitysolutionsthatalignwithbusinessobjectives,and advocateforsecurityasanenablerratherthanahindrance.
Theseexperienceshaveshapedhimintoaleaderwho valuescollaboration,adaptability,andstrategicthinking. Andres'sabilitytobridgethegapbetweenITandOThas beeninstrumentalinfosteringacultureofcooperationand mutualunderstanding,ultimatelyleadingtomoreeffective andcohesivesecuritystrategies.
ThegreatestsenseofpurposeinAndres'workcomesfrom knowingthatheiscontributingtothesecurityandresilienceofcriticalinfrastructure.Protectingindustrialsystems fromcyberthreatsmeanssafeguardinglivesandensuring thecontinuousoperationofmanufacturingsites.
Andresalignshispersonalmissionwiththisbroadergoal byreviewingbestpractices,sharingexperiencesand knowledgewithhisteamandothers,andcontinuously innovatingtoenhancesecurityinOTenvironments.
Hetakesprideinknowingthathiseffortshelpprotectvital systemsthatpeoplerelyoneveryday Thissenseof purposedriveshimtocontinuallystriveforexcellenceand makeapositiveimpactinthefieldofOTcybersecurity.
OnecommonmisconceptionaboutOTcybersecurityisthat itcanbetreatedthesameasITsecurity.WhileITsecurity principlesareapplicable,OTenvironmentshaveunique constraintssuchaslegacysystems,real-timerequirements, andoperationalsafetyconsiderations.ApplyingIT-centric securitycontrolswithoutunderstandingindustrialprocesses canleadtooperationaldisruptions.ItiscrucialfororganizationstorecognizethatOTcybersecurityrequiresa tailoredapproachthatbalancessecuritywithreliability, ensuringthatindustrialoperationsremainsafeandefficient.
Thisdoesn'tmeanITtoolscannotbeleveragedinOT environments,buttheymustbedeployedconsciouslyand differently,especiallyregardinggovernanceandrequirements.Andresadvocatesforanuancedunderstandingof OTcybersecurity,emphasizingtheneedforspecialized strategiesthataddressthedistinctchallengesofindustrial environments.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ andres-prieto-anton-26b09bb/
By2025,supplychainsareincreasinglybecomingatargetofcyber-attacks.The
technology-reliant,globallyconnectednatureofsupplychainshasgiventheman enormousattacksurfaceuponwhichtocarryoutanattack.Withcompanies behindinkeepingpacewiththisevolvingthreatenvironment,itisusefultohaveinsight intovulnerabilitiesandtotakeremedialmeasuresaheadoftime.
Supplychainsnowarecomplicatedwebswithnumerouslayersofvendors,suppliers,and serviceproviders.Theirsophisticationmadethemverysusceptibletocyberattack.Cyber Threats2025stretchedfurthertonotjustattackindividualorganizationsbutsupplychain ecosystemsbytakingadvantageofvulnerabilitiestoinfiltratelargenetworks.
•
• Third-PartyRisks:Mostthird-partyvendorspossessweakcybersecuritycontrols thatexposeattacksurfaces.Poorsecurityhabitonthepartofsmallsuppliersislikely tocausebreachestocascadethroughsupplychains.
• SoftwareSupplyChainAttacks:CyberThreats2025increasinglyattacksoftware vulnerabilities,includingdirtyupdatesandbackdoorinjectionatbuildtime.
• IoTDevices:IncreasingadoptionofInternetofThings(IoT)devicesinlogisticsand manufacturinghasintroducednewvulnerabilitiesonthebasisofinsecurebehavior
CyberThreats2025arelargeandsophisticatedinsize.Hackersuseadvancedtechniques totakeadvantageofthevulnerabilityofthesupplychain.
CyberThreat
• RansomwareAttackonSupplyChains:Ransomwareattackersarenowtargeting vulnerabilitiesinthesupplychaintocausemaximumdisruptionanddemandhigher ransoms.
• AI-DrivenMalware:AIenableshackerstodevelopevasivemalwarethatcanbypass traditionaldefenses.
• State-SponsoredAttacks:Statesponsorsareincreasinglyusingsupplychain intrusionforcyberespionageandstrategicgain.
High-profileincidentshaveshownthepowerofone vulnerabilityinonewidelyusedsoftwaretoimpact numerousorganizationsindifferentsectors.Ransomware attacksoncriticalsuppliershavecausedenormous economiclossandproductiontime,andtheseindicatethe importanceofcounteractingCyberThreats2025aheadof time.
Organizationsneedtoapplycomprehensivestrategiesto counterCyberThreats2025.
Manualriskcalculationsfallshorttoaddressthevolatility ofcontemporarysupplychains.AutomatedtoolswithAI canofferround-the-clockmonitoringandreal-time visibilityintoexposures,allowingquickeractionstothreat evolution.
Effectivevendorcollaborationsarecriticaltocounterrisks. Effectivecommunicationduringcyberattackscanminimize downtimeandavertmassivedisruptions.Organizations musthaveclearcybersecurityexpectationsfromallpartners andsuppliers.
Industrythreatintelligencesharingcanmakepre-attack expectationpossible.Predictiveanalyticsbasedonmachine learningcanidentifypatternsforprobablebreaches,thus overallresistanceagainstCyberThreats2025.
AIisatwo-edgedswordforandagainstattackersin2025. Onthedefenseside:
• AIfacilitatesautomatedchecksagainstseveral frameworksforcompliance.
• Itidentifieshotspotsofriskthroughadvanced analytics.
• Real-timethreatdetectionenablesresponseatfaster times.
ButattacksareleveragingAIfortheiremploytodevelop evenmoresophisticatedassaults,anditisthereforecritical thatbusinessesgetaheadofthegameinthistechnology race.
TobeabletoeffectivelyrespondtoCyberThreats2025, organizationsneedtosubscribetothefollowing:
• Third-partyriskevaluationsconsistentlybasedonthe specificsupplier'sriskprofile.
• Implementdataencryptionpoliciesforallthird-party integrations.
• Diversifysupplierbasestoreducedependenceonhighrisksuppliers.
• Developbackupplansforsupplychaindisruptionin theeventofcyberbreaches.
Inthefuturein2025,supplychainprotectionwillremain anorganizationalimperativeworldwide.Increasingcyber attacksnecessitatemovingawayfromresponsetoincidents andtowardspre-incidentresponsesthatdevelopresilience againstattack.
• Investinstate-of-the-arttechnologylikeAI-driven monitoringsystems.
• CollaboratewithSMEstostrengthentheoverallcyber posturing.
• CyberThreats2025trainingandawarenessacross everysupplychain.
• Delaysintheseactivitiescouldresultinlossof business,financialyields,andreputation.
CyberThreats2025posesathreattotheglobalsupply chain,yetalsopresentsapossibilityforfirmstorethink howtheyapproachcybersecurity Automation, collaboration,andleverageofAIsolutionscanenable businessestoconstructrobustsupplychainsresistantto tomorrow'sthreats.Tomorrowisbeingforward-thinking andproactive—acttodaytodefendoperationsagainst tomorrow'sthreat.
Thegeopoliticallandscapeof2025hasbecome
inextricablylinkedtocyberthreatdynamics,creatinga dangerousconvergencewheredigitalwarfareamplifies physicalconflictsandeconomicrivalries.Asnation-statesand ideologicalgroupsweaponizetechnology,cybersecuritynow servesasbothshieldandspearinglobalpowerstruggles.
Escalating Regional Cyber Conflicts
EuropeanUnionTechInvestmentsUnderFire
TheEU'ssubstantialinvestmentincleanenergyandadvanced technologyhasmadeitaprimetargetforstate-sponsoredcyber operations.RussianandChinesethreatactorsareactively targetingintellectualpropertyandinfrastructuretiedtothese initiatives,particularlyindefenseandgreenenergysectors. TheseattacksaimtosabotageEurope'seconomicresurgence whilestealingnext-generationinnovationsforcompetitive advantage.
US-ChinaTechDecouplingSparksDigitalRetaliation
WesterneffortstoreducerelianceonChinesetechnologyhave triggeredasurgeincyberespionagecampaignstargeting semiconductormanufacturing,AIdevelopment,andrenewable energyresearch.Chinesestate-linkedgroupsincreasingly deployransomwareandsupplychainattacksagainstUSand UKcleanenergyfirms,mirroringtacticsusedagainstTaiwan's chipindustry Thefrequencyofdisruptiveattackshasrisen significantly,impactingemergingtechsectors.
Russia'sHybridWarfarePlaybookEvolves Moscowcontinuesrefiningitsblendofcyberattacksand disinformationcampaignstargetingNATOpopulations.Recent operationshaveexploitedvulnerabilitiesinagriculturalIoT systemstodisruptUkrainiangrainexports,weaponizingboth infrastructureandfoodsecurity
TheIran-IsraelconflicthasspawnedsophisticateddronejammingmalwareandGPSspoofingattacksaffecting commercialshipping.Iraniangroupsareconducting numerousoperationsagainstIsraeliwatersystemsand defensecontractors,whileIsraelicounterstrikecapabilities increasinglytargetcriticalfacilitiesinIran.
Critical Infrastructure: The New Battleground
Operationaltechnology(OT)systemsnowaccountfora significantportionofstate-sponsoredattacks,withenergy grids,transportationnetworks,anddatacenters experiencingadramaticincreaseinintrusionattempts comparedtopreviousyears.Thisshiftreflectsstrategic prioritiesacrossvarioussectors.
TheUK'sdesignationofdatacentersascritical infrastructuresetaglobalprecedent,promptingother nationstofollowsuit.Thisrecognitioncomesas ransomwaregroupsachievehighsuccessratesinbreaching cloudserviceproviders.
Threedevelopmentsareredefiningdigitalconflict:
1.AI-EnhancedDisinformation-Deepfakeelection interferencecampaignsarebecomingincreasingly believableamongtargetpopulations.
2.SupplyChainWeaponization-Agrowingnumberof cyberincidentsoriginatefromcompromisedsoftware updatesinessentialtools.
3.Cyber-PhysicalConvergence-Attackshaveevolvedinto AI-powered"smartmalware"thatadaptstoindustrial controlsystemsinreal-time.
State-sponsoredactorsnowcollaboratewithorganized crimegroupsthroughransomware-as-servicemarketplaces, creatingdeniableattackvectors.Recentincidentshave demonstratedthisdangeroussynergybetweengeopolitical objectivesandcriminalenterprise. Mitigation Strategies for the New Era
Organizationsmustadoptmultilayereddefenses:
1.GeopoliticalThreatIntelligence
• Implementreal-timemonitoringofkeyconflict indicators.
• Conductregular"digitalwargames"simulatinghybrid attackscenarios.
2.Zero-TrustArchitecture
• ApplystrongencryptiontoallAPIcommunications.
• Useadvancedalgorithmsforsensitiveresearchand developmentdata.
3.CriticalInfrastructureHardening
• DeployAI-poweredanomalydetectioninOTnetworks toreducebreachdetectiontimesignificantly.
• Establishair-gappedbackupsystemsforindustrial controlprotocols.
4.WorkforceCyberDiplomacy
• Trainexecutivesincyberconflictlawandrelated amendments.
• Develop"digitalfirstaid"certificationprogramsforall employees.
Asthelinebetweenphysicalanddigitalwarfaredissolves, 2025'scybersecuritylandscapedemandsunprecedented collaborationbetweengovernments,enterprises,andcivil society Thosewhorecognizecyberresilienceasbothan economicnecessityandastrategicimperativewillnavigate thisturmoileffectively;othersriskbecomingcasualtiesina conflictwithnogeographicalbordersorclearendgame.
“Cybersecurity is not a one-time fix but an ongoing process.”
