The world of cybersecurity is entering what experts call the "agentic era." Companies are handing the keys over to smart AI agents to write code, manage cloud systems, and handle day-to-day work at lightning speed.
But according to the recent CrowdStrike 2026 Global Threat Report, hackers are reading from the exact same script. They are using those same advanced tools to move faster, trick employees, and slip past defenses without leaving a trace.
If we look closely at the report, a few massive shifts stand out in how cybercriminals are operating today.
AI-Powered Cybersecurity Threats are Rapidly Growing
Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic talking point for IT departments. It is actively being weaponized. In 2025, attacks involving AI jumped by 89% compared to the year before.
AI isn't necessarily inventing entirely new ways to hack companies. Instead, it acts like a turbocharger for old tricks. It helps average hackers write highly realistic phishing emails, create fake job-recruiter profiles on LinkedIn, and build malicious code in programming languages they don't even know.
Even state-sponsored hacking groups are experimenting with it. For example, a Russian group named FANCY BEAR built a tool that connects directly to AI models to automatically figure out how a victim's computer network is set up.
At the same time, the AI systems businesses rely on are now targets. Hackers are finding clever ways to feed confusing instructions to corporate AI tools, essentially tricking the software into handing over data or ignoring security alerts.
The Death of the Computer Virus
When most people think of a cyberattack, they picture a traditional computer virus or malicious file being downloaded. However, hackers have largely abandoned that approach. The Crowdstrike Global Threat report shows that 82% of all cyber attacks in 2025 used absolutely no malware.
Instead, criminals are using stolen, valid passwords to log into networks like normal employees. Once inside, they use the company's own administrative tools to look around and steal data. Because they are using real accounts and official software, they blend right in with normal business traffic, making them incredibly hard to spot.
Worse yet, they are moving at terrifying speeds. The average time it takes a hacker to break into a network and start moving to other systems dropped to just 29 minutes in 2025. In the fastest recorded attack, it took an adversary only 27 seconds to start spreading, and they began stealing data within four minutes of getting inside.
Ransomware Operators are Finding New Blind Spots
Ransomware groups, which lock up a company's data and demand money to unlock it, are getting highly strategic. Groups like SCATTERED SPIDER and PUNK SPIDER are intentionally avoiding well-protected corporate laptops and computers. Instead, they are sneaking in through cloud accounts, unmanaged personal devices, and virtual servers.
To stay invisible, these groups use "remote encryption." Rather than running their ransomware directly on a computer that has active security software, they launch the attack from an unmanaged device, like a smart security camera on the network. From there, they reach across the network to lock up files sitting on the company's main servers.
In other cases, hackers will target a company's virtual backup systems. They will log in, shut down the virtual machines holding a company's user data, and copy the entire employee password database without the security team ever realizing it happened.
Aggressive Attacks on Internet-Facing Edge Devices
State-sponsored groups from China significantly increased their activity in 2025, showing a major preference for attacking the equipment that connects a company to the public internet. This includes things like corporate VPNs, routers, and firewalls. In fact, the Crowdstrike Global Threat Report states 40% of the software flaws these groups exploited were found on these types of edge devices.
These teams are incredibly fast at taking advantage of newly discovered software bugs. When a tech company announces a vulnerability and releases a security patch, Chinese hacking groups are often able to weaponize that flaw within days or hours. They strike during the narrow window of time before a company's IT staff can install the updates.
Because these internet-facing devices are hard to monitor and rarely run standard antivirus software, they act as the perfect hidden front door for state-sponsored espionage.
Poisoning the Software Supply Chain
One of the most damaging tactics used in 2025 was the software supply chain attack. Instead of attacking a target company directly, hackers sneak malicious code into popular, open-source software libraries that thousands of other developers download and trust.
North Korean hacking groups have been heavily using this method to steal money. In early 2025, a group called PRESSURE CHOLLIMA managed to steal 1.46 billion USD from a cryptocurrency exchange. They did it by tricking a single software developer into downloading a rigged coding project, which gave the hackers access to the software platform's backend infrastructure.
Other hackers are publishing fake, helpful software packages online. When regular developers download these packages to use in their own corporate apps, they accidentally install hidden "information stealers." Some of this new malware can even scan a developer's computer, find their administrative passwords, and automatically publish even more infected software to keep the chain going.
The Main Takeaway from Crowdstrike's 2026 Global Threat Report: Matching Machine Speed
The biggest lesson from the 2026 report is that human-speed defense can no longer keep up with machine-speed attacks. When a hacker can compromise an account and steal data in a matter of minutes, traditional security teams cannot wait around for an email alert to tell them something is wrong.
Protecting a modern business means tying together security data from every single domain, whether it is employee identities, cloud accounts, or office computers. To beat an adversary that relies on speed and trust, companies must use automated security platforms that can spot suspicious behavior and shut it down before the hacker can even take their first step.
If you're looking for a partner who can help build and strengthen your cybersecurity strategy, All Covered can help. Reach out today to speak to an expert.
