Palo Alto Networks Unveils Cybersecurity Predictions For 2025: Key Insights For Malaysian Businesses

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (Bernama) – Palo Alto Networks, a global leader in cybersecurity, has released its APAC Cybersecurity Predictions for 2025, offering vital insights into the future of cyber threats and strategies to stay ahead of the curve.

The company’s predictions provide Malaysian enterprises with a roadmap to navigate the complexities of the evolving digital landscape.

According to Palo Alto Networks’ country manager for Malaysia, Sarene Lee, while innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing promise to enhance competitiveness, they will also introduce amplified cyber risks.

bootstrap slideshow

“With the rise of AI-powered cybercrime tools, including ransomware-as-a-service, Malaysian businesses must be proactive in adopting AI-driven unified data platforms to defend against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.

“The race to harness AI for both innovation and cybersecurity is on, and businesses need to be equipped to outpace cybercriminals,” she said. 

bootstrap slideshow

Cyber Infrastructure: A Unified Data Security Platform

The first prediction revolves around the growing need for a unified cybersecurity platform in 2025. Organisations facing increased complexity in their digital operations are expected to consolidate cybersecurity tools into a single platform to streamline visibility and control.

Palo Alto Networks predicts this shift will not only help businesses cope with the ongoing shortage of cyber skills but also enhance the security posture by providing end-to-end visibility across code repositories, cloud workloads, networks and security operation centres (SOCs).

This trend aligns with Malaysia’s ongoing efforts, such as those spearheaded by the Jabatan Digital Negara (JDN), which centralises ICT procurement for government entities to improve efficiency and bolster security.

In October 2024, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the directive aims to eliminate overlapping requests, outdated systems and vulnerabilities, all of which pose significant risks.

Deepfakes: The Rising Threat

The second prediction highlights the increasing threat posed by deepfake technology, a tool that cybercriminals are increasingly using for fraud, misinformation and disinformation campaigns. As AI technology continues to advance, deepfakes, particularly in audio and video formats, are expected to become more sophisticated and harder to detect.

“Savvy criminals will use ever-improving generative AI to launch credible deepfake attacks, with voice cloning becoming more widespread,” Palo Alto Networks said. 

In Malaysia, the rise of fraudulent online content is becoming an increasing concern. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) took down 63,652 pieces of such content in 2024, a substantial jump from 6,297 pieces removed in 2023.

The crackdown included various forms of fraud, particularly those involving artificial intelligence (AI), such as deepfakes, impersonation of public figures, and manipulated videos, graphics, and text.

Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching noted that AI technology has made it alarmingly easy to create deepfake videos, with prominent individuals like Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and former Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz falling victim to these fraudulent tactics.  

Quantum Computing: Preparing for the Future

Looking beyond the immediate threats, Palo Alto Networks also delves into the long-term implications of quantum computing.

“For now, CIOs (chief investment officers) can debunk any hype around this topic to the board. Though significant progress with quantum annealing has been made, military-grade encryption has still not been broken.

”However, ‘harvest now, decrypt later’ tactics are expected to intensify, targeting highly classified data for future decryption,” it said. 

“Harvest now, decrypt later" refers to a strategy used by cybercriminals or nation-state actors where they capture encrypted data today with the intention of decrypting it in the future when more powerful decryption tools, like quantum computers, become available.

Palo Alto Networks also said that nation-state actors are likely to target organisations by developing quantum computers for corporate espionage attacks and to effectively counter these threats, all organisations must adopt quantum-resistant defences, including quantum-resistant tunnelling, comprehensive crypto data libraries, and technologies offering enhanced crypto-agility.

In Malaysia, initiatives to combat emerging quantum-related cybersecurity risks have taken root, with Budget 2025 allocating RM50 million to public universities for AI and cybersecurity research, including a collaboration between Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) to establish the Malaysian Cryptology Technology and Management Centre.

This centre will focus on transitioning the nation's cryptographic systems to post-quantum cryptography, ensuring the protection of National Critical Information Infrastructure (NCII) and personal data.  

Transparency: The Cornerstone of Trust in the AI Era

The fourth prediction centres on transparency as key to maintaining customer trust in the AI-driven era, with Palo Alto Networks emphasising that as AI’s role in business and governance grows, the focus on ethics, data protection and transparency will intensify.

“Transparency and proactive communication about AI model mechanics, specifically regarding data collection, training datasets and decision-making processes will be essential for building customer trust,” it said. 

In Malaysia, the launch of the Artificial Intelligence Governance and Ethics (AIGE) guidelines on Sept 20, 2024 provides a framework for AI practitioners, offering industry-wide discipline while focusing on AI security, transparency and data integrity, with the government hoping these non-legally binding guidelines will eventually inform future legislation.

In September 2024, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang stressed the importance of keeping pace with AI’s rapid advancement while aligning the guidelines with regional efforts, particularly those by ASEAN, to promote ethical AI use.  

Product Integrity and Supply Chain Security

The fifth prediction underscores the increasing emphasis on product integrity and supply chain security, highlighting that in light of growing geopolitical uncertainties and the expanding role of AI and digital technologies, businesses will need to adopt stronger risk assessments, accountability frameworks and legal safeguards.

”In cloud environments, where complexity and scale amplify risks, real-time visibility has become a necessity.

”Expect to see greater focus on comprehensive monitoring involving continuous tracking of both infrastructure and application performance metrics,” it said. 

This prediction aligns with ASEAN’s growing collaboration with BRICS countries, particularly in digital economy sectors like e-commerce and financial technology.

On Dec 5, 2024, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz highlighted that ASEAN, under Malaysia's chairmanship this year, plans to focus on enhancing manufacturing value chains and reducing disruptions caused by geopolitical uncertainties, with the goal of strengthening global competitiveness through supply chain diversification.  
 

Strengthening Cyber Resilience for Malaysia’s Digital Future

As Malaysia continues its digital transformation journey, the need for proactive cybersecurity measures becomes paramount, and by adopting the latest AI-powered unified data platforms, businesses can stay ahead of cybercriminals and safeguard their operations.

In particular, leveraging technologies like Precision AI will enable Malaysian enterprises to bolster their security frameworks while maintaining the agility necessary for growth in an increasingly digital world.

Organisations must prioritise cybersecurity not just as a defensive measure, but as a key driver of resilience and competitiveness in the fast-evolving global market.

In conclusion, 2025 promises a rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, with insights from Palo Alto Networks highlighting the importance of transparency, innovation and resilience for Malaysian businesses to stay secure and competitive in the Digital Age.

For more insights into 2025, organisations can explore Palo Alto Networks' global predictions and learn how to stay ahead with these trends at Ignite on Tour Malaysia later this year.

-- BERNAMA