Cybersecurity threats in 2025……..So, my cousin texts me last week—“Bro, is it normal for my phone to be sending messages by itself?”
And I’m sitting there on the 7 train like… absolutely not, but also, why is that happening to you of all people?

I mean, this guy barely checks his email. He still thinks “the cloud” is something optional, like guac on a burrito. There’s no universe where he should be interesting enough for a hacker to notice.

Except, you know—cybersecurity threats in 2025 are so wild and random that literally anyone can get hit. Even the cousin who still uses “Password123” because “it’s easy to remember.”

(Yes, I yelled at him. No, he didn’t change it.)

Anyway, his phone got caught in some weird little malware thing that basically turned it into an NPC in someone else’s game of Internet Chaos Simulator. It spammed people or joined a botnet. It tried to send $400 to a PayPal address called “CryptoBeast.” Just nonsense.

And that whole situation made me realize:
2025 is kinda scary online.

Not horror-movie scary.
More like “accidentally liked your ex’s Instagram post from 2017” scary.
The subtle, creeping kind.

**What Even Are Cybersecurity Threats in 2025?**

Okay, look—I’m not trying to freak you out, but also, I kinda am, because if you saw what’s out there…

Imagine walking into a bodega at midnight and it’s empty except for a raccoon wearing sunglasses. That’s the vibe of the Internet right now. Suspicious. A little chaotic. Nobody fully in control.

But let me break down what’s happening, in the least-techy way possible, because I’m not here to lecture. I’m here to overshare like we’re two friends gossiping about the latest digital drama.

1. AI-Powered Scams That Sound EXACTLY Like People You Know

This one makes me uncomfortable on a spiritual level.

My friend Sarah (not her real name, because she’d actually kill me) got a call that sounded exactly like her niece asking for money.

Same voice or little “um” between sentences. Same “can you please not tell mom?”

And it wasn’t her niece.
It was some AI scammer guy in a basement with a GPU farm and too much time.

You can’t even trust your caller ID anymore.
You can’t even trust your aunt on Facebook Messenger.
(Actually you should never trust your aunt on Facebook Messenger—those chain messages are a threat all by themselves.)

2. Deepfake Blackmail… but Stupider cybersecurity threats in 2025

You’d think hackers would create actually believable deepfakes, right?

Nope.

In 2025, the big thing is sending people fake compromising videos and saying, “Pay us or we release this.”

Except the videos look like they were made on a 2008 iPod Touch.

But people panic anyway.
Because embarrassment is more powerful than logic.

I told my friend, “Dude, nobody with eyebrows shaped like that is gonna believe that’s you.”
He didn’t laugh.

**3. Ransomware That Doesn’t Even Ask—It Just Takes**

The new ransomware trend is “steal first, ransom later.”

Hackers just grab your photos, your files, your PDFs titled “TAXES FINAL FINAL REAL FINAL.pdf,” and then they hit you with the ransom note.

It’s like someone grabbing a slice of your pizza and THEN asking if you were gonna finish it.

The disrespect.

4. Smart Home Attacks: Because Now Even the Fridge Is an Enemy

My apartment isn’t fancy or anything, but I do have one of those smart home things—y’know the little speaker that listens to you breathe. I only got it because it was on sale and I thought it would help me find my keys.

It does not.

But it DOES occasionally light up in the middle of the night like it’s possessed.

Anyway, smart home hacks in 2025 are getting weird. People are reporting:

lights flickering on and off
doorbell cameras yelling
thermostats setting themselves to Antarctic Expedition mode
fridges locking??? Why???

Imagine trying to explain to your landlord that your toaster was hacked.
Just imagine.

5. QR Code Scams Everywhere about cybersecurity threats in 2025

You ever scan a QR code at a restaurant and think, “This feels… vulnerable”?
Yeah. You should trust that instinct.

Fake QR codes are everywhere in 2025:

bus stops
parking meters
menus
posters
gym equipment
random street poles (??? who is scanning those???)

One of my coworkers scanned a code from a flyer that said “FREE DOG PHOTOS.”
Nothing good happened.

6. Data Breaches Are Just… Normal Now

You ever get one of those emails like:

“We take your privacy seriously. Unfortunately…”

Yeah. That. Every week.

At this point I’m convinced my personal data is traveling more than I am.

So How Do You Protect Yourself in 2025?

Here’s where I tell you the stuff that ACTUALLY helps.
Not that “use a VPN” nonsense from 2016 blogs written by dudes in Patagonia vests.
Real, normal-person things you can do so your phone doesn’t become a hacker’s sidekick.

1. Treat Unknown Messages Like NYC Subway Rats: Do Not Engage

If a message feels weird, looks weird, or smells weird (emotionally), don’t click anything.

Examples of messages to ignore:

“Your package is delayed!!! Click here.”
“Your friend sent you a video.”
“We noticed unusual login activity.”
“You have won a cruise.”
“HI IT’S ME I NEED HELP” (but typed like your grandma on her third espresso)

Just… back away.

2. Passwords. I Know. Nobody Wants to Hear This.

If your password is still “password123,” please don’t tell me.
It will damage my spirit.

Just use:

A password manager
Long phrases you can remember
Anything other than your dog’s name + 1

Pro tip: throw in an emoji if the system allows it.
Hackers hate emojis.

3. Turn On 2FA Like Your Life Depends On It

Look, I hate entering codes too.
I have ADHD.
I forget codes before I finish typing them.

But 2FA is like… locking your bike with two chains instead of one.

In 2025, it’s not optional.
It’s basic survival.

4. Update Your Stuff. Seriously. Right Now.

Those annoying software updates?
The ones you ignore for six months?
Yeah. They matter.

Updates fix the holes hackers crawl through and patch the broken digital windows.
Updates keep your phone from becoming a zombie soldier in a cyber war.

Just update the thing.
(It takes like nine minutes. You can do nine minutes.)

5. Don’t Connect to Free Wi-Fi Unless You Hate Yourself

I know it’s tempting.
Starbucks has the vibe.
McDonald’s has the speed.
Airports have the desperation.

But hackers LIVE on public Wi-Fi.
Like pigeons in Times Square.

Use your hotspot.
Or at least avoid logging into anything sensitive.

6. Teach Your Family. Especially the Uncle Who Shares Conspiracy Memes.

Cybersecurity is now a group project, unfortunately.

Because if your mom clicks a phishing link, guess what?
Her contacts get hit.
And suddenly your whole group chat is compromised.

Have a little Sunday meeting:
“Family, please stop opening random attachments. Thank you.”

7. Backup Your Stuff (Like That One Ex You Should’ve Backed Up Before Blocking)

Backup your files.
Your photos.
Your important documents.

So when ransomware hits—and honestly, the odds are not zero—you don’t lose everything.

Cloud backups.
External hard drives.
Whatever works.

Just don’t be the person sobbing because their entire wedding album was stored on one USB drive shaped like Yoda.

Random Cybersecurity Things That Are Actually Helpful

These are more life-hack-ish:

Cover your webcam. (Yes, I know it looks paranoid. It’s fine.)
Check your credit report occasionally.
Stop giving apps permissions they don’t need.
Delete apps you never use.
Don’t reuse your passwords. Yes, I’m repeating this. It’s THAT important.

A Quick Story About My Own Dumb Cyber Mistake

Okay so, full honesty moment.

A few months ago I got an email from “Amazon” saying my package was delayed.
And I clicked the link.

I KNOW and literally write about this stuff.
But it was 8 a.m.
I hadn’t had coffee.
And I was expecting an actual package.

The page opened and immediately asked me to “confirm my login.”
And I paused.
Because Amazon never asks me that.
It just lets me buy things irresponsibly without question.

Anyway, I backed out.
Changed my password.
And then I admitted it to my friend, who looked at me and said:

“You seriously thought that would work?”

I deserved that.

Outbound Links for Fun:

For humor + tech nerdiness: https://xkcd.com
For a wild rabbit hole of scams: https://www.pleaserobme.com

Cybersecurity Threats in 2025: How to Protect Yourself

What Even Are Cybersecurity Threats in 2025?