Prompt: “Guess passwords”

Hackers have always used the latest technologies to make their attacks more effective—and now, of course, they’re using AI. It turns out artificial intelligence has many applications for cybercriminals, from creating personalized phishing messages and advanced malware to, that’s right, guessing people’s passwords.

As a result, instead of trying to hack passwords manually—a process that could take years if they’re even slightly more complex than “123456”—cybercriminals now use AI models to generate highly accurate password predictions based on a target’s online behavior and data. This allows them to launch optimized brute-force attacks, significantly increasing their chances of gaining unauthorized access to company systems and devices.

What our research shows—and what hackers know all too well—is that weak password habits are common across industries. And since most companies still rely on passwords to protect their digital assets, it’s no surprise that cybercriminals are using artificial intelligence to exploit this vulnerability. With AI on their side, they’ve got a better shot at breaking into a company, disrupting its operations, and putting its brand reputation at risk.

How does AI improve password guessing?

It’s simple—AI leaves traditional password-guessing methods in the dust when it comes to both speed and accuracy. Unlike humans, AI isn’t limited by having to type things out on a keyboard. And, unlike traditional brute-force tools, it doesn’t waste time trying every possible combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.

No, AI plays it smart. For instance, it analyzes massive datasets of leaked passwords to find patterns in how people often create passwords, identifying popular formulas like [pet’s name]+[year of birth] or [company name]+123. Some AI tools even gather data from social media or company websites to increase their chances of guessing a password by using employees’ personal information and company-related terms. Not to mention the fact that artificial intelligence also understands all human languages, so it knows what phrases people are more likely to use in their country.

Because of all that, AI doesn’t waste its resources on trying millions of irrelevant combinations—it jumps straight to the most likely guesses. So, if your password is weak and predictable, an AI tool could probably guess it in a matter of minutes.

This is a serious issue for all businesses. Google’s Threat Horizons Report found that over 60% of the breaches it analyzed involved credential issues. Therefore, all companies must enforce a strong password policy before AI-powered password guessers become a major threat to their operations.

The difference between guessing and cracking passwords

Although both fall under the umbrella of “password hacking,” “password guessing” and “password cracking” are two different things. The former describes a trial-and-error process of attempting as many password guesses as possible until one eventually hits the jackpot.

Password cracking, on the other hand, is about decrypting password hashes from a stolen password database. In other words, hackers already have the credential data in their possession, but it’s still protected by encryption. So, they use cracking tools to uncover plaintext passwords.

Who’s most vulnerable to AI password attacks?

While anyone is at risk from AI-powered password guessers, businesses are likely the biggest targets. That’s because companies have a much larger attack surface, and sometimes just one compromised business password can give cybercriminals access to an entire IT ecosystem.

Hackers are also using AI to target corporate platforms to reap bigger profits than they’d get from breaking into individual user accounts. It’s like the saying goes: “The greater the risk, the greater the reward.”

Tips for protecting business passwords from AI

While the threat of AI-powered password guessers may seem daunting, you’re not helpless or without options. There are several strategies and tools that, if implemented correctly, can help protect your business. Here are some of them:

Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Relying only on passwords to protect your company accounts isn’t enough these days. You need extra layers of security so that even if a password is compromised, your systems and data stay safe. That’s where multi-factor authentication comes in.

By setting up MFA on all your company accounts, you ensure that anyone trying to log in will need more than just a password to gain access. As a result, even if an AI-powered password guesser figures out the user’s credentials, hackers still won’t be able to get in.

Don’t reuse passwords

If an employee uses the same password across multiple accounts—both business and personal—they may be doing more harm than they realize. If an AI tool cracks such a password, hackers could break into several company systems at once, making it a nightmare for your IT team to contain the damage. That’s why it’s so important to have a strong password policy that prevents password reuse in your organization.

Educate your team

It’s one thing to ask employees to follow security rules—it’s another to make sure they understand why those rules matter. Investing in cybersecurity training sessions is not only a way to teach your team how to use company systems safely and spot phishing attempts, but it also helps them see the bigger picture behind the risks the company is facing—and how their actions can affect your entire organization. When your employees understand the threat, know what to watch for, and how to respond, you’re much more likely to catch issues early and reduce the chance of human error.

Keep software and devices updated

Most of the tools and systems companies rely on get regular updates to fix bugs and patch up security holes. That’s why it’s really important to make sure all your company’s devices and software stay up to date. Without those updates, you could be leaving vulnerabilities that hackers are just waiting to exploit.

Use a password manager

If your company doesn’t use a password manager yet, getting one should be at the top of your priority list. Why? First of all, a password manager like NordPass allows your employees to generate strong, hard-to-guess passwords for each of their business accounts. It also lets them securely store, manage, autofill, and share those passwords internally with the team. So if you’re concerned about AI-powered password guessers, using a tool like NordPass is one of the best ways to stay ahead.

NordPass also offers additional security features, such as a Data Breach Scanner that informs you if your company’s credentials have been compromised, Password Policy that allows you to enforce strict password rules for all employees, and Email Masking, which hides users’ real business email addresses when signing up for newsletters or online services. With features like these, you’ll have more control over access to your company’s systems—and help protect your business data from threats like AI password guessers.

Bottom line

Hackers are now using AI to guess business passwords based on the targets’ online behavior and data. With this technology, cybercriminals can crack weak passwords in just a few minutes, gaining access to company systems at lightning speed.

To protect themselves, organizations must make sure that all employees use only strong, AI-proof passwords. One way to do this is by investing in tools like password managers (e.g., NordPass) that can generate complex passwords on the spot and securely store each employee’s credentials in encrypted vaults.

First, what is master data management?

Mobile device management falls under master data management (also abbreviated MDM), the process of managing all critical data within the organization. Master data management doesn’t refer to specific software or hardware but rather the entire workflow required to securely handle data assets.

Master data management encompasses all departments working with customer details, product data, and other information deemed critical. The goal is to create one single source of truth, eliminating any fragmented, duplicated, outdated, or otherwise inaccurate information.

Mobile data management contributes to this by supporting the enforcement of privacy policies and compliance-ready data protection for hardware and software. It helps streamline risk management by ensuring each company-owned device follows the exact requirements and uses the same approved apps and tools. Administrators using MDM software can spot irregularities in employee activity more easily and quickly, leading to better response times in the case of an incident.

How does mobile device management work?

MDM security is a core part of the overall cybersecurity infrastructure, simplifying and centralizing processes that would otherwise create challenges for organizations. While it’s particularly beneficial for remote and hybrid teams, mobile device management is crucial for fully in-house organizations, too.

Mobile device management concerns all company-issued devices: desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and phones given to employees with remote access and management software installed. These software components are known as MDM solutions.

One app is rarely enough to cover the entire MDM infrastructure. Some programs are OS-dependent. For instance, Apple offers Apple Business Management (ABM) for its native device management. Others are developed by third-party service providers, granting more flexibility for organizations using a broader device range.

Mobile device management makes it easier for organizations to ensure employee devices are secure and their usage adheres to internal protocol. For instance, a managed device may contain software to connect to the company’s internal network, a remote access app that lets administrators access the device in case of technical issues, a password manager with set security policies, antivirus software, or encrypted file storage.

Using MDM solutions simplifies software updates, allowing administrators to ensure all apps and operating systems are up-to-date and secured from zero-day vulnerabilities. It supports device monitoring, making it easier to spot irregularities and suspicious activity. In case of a security incident, a compromised device can be remotely wiped and locked by the IT team to reduce the risk of data theft and damage.

Mobile device management is beneficial for onboarding and offboarding processes. New employees can receive their hardware with the necessary tools pre-installed and set according to company requirements, while leavers have their data easily wiped from the device, allowing it to be passed along to future employees or be adapted for further personal use.

BYOD and mobile device management

Using a company-issued device is not always mandated. For example, company phones may be limited depending on employee roles or the company’s budgetary requirements. Although computers provided by the employer are a common business practice, in some cases, like with fully remote teams, it may be logistically simpler to have the employee use their personal device for work. In such instances, companies practice BYOD, or “bring your own device.”

The problem with personal device use is the lack of security assurance. Unlike company-issued devices, BYOD practices don’t mandate MDM software to be installed. However, employees may opt for it for security reasons. Since the personal and work-related use overlap, employees may be reluctant to install remote access software to keep their private information protected.

This creates further security risks for employers and employees alike: if a company adheres to BYOD practices and the device in question is stolen, hacked, or otherwise compromised, the cybersecurity team can’t promptly respond to the threat. For instance, they can’t remotely shut off the device or delete its contents. Furthermore, they can’t guarantee that a malicious party won’t misuse work-related data stored on a personal device. Considering the liability involved, it’s strongly recommended for organizations to avoid BYOD practices and opt for company-issued device use instead.

MDM solutions: Are they worth it?

While the benefits of mobile device management are alluring, they can cause some challenges. Here’s what organizations need to know as they set up MDM solutions.

The pros

• Increased security. Mobile device management offers stronger security for employees, particularly those working with sensitive data. Centralized control ensures all devices adhere to the same requirements and employees follow company policies.

• Onboarding and offboarding. Upon joining a workplace with MDM solutions, employees receive devices that are already partially or fully prepared for their duties. Likewise, having access to tools like remote wiping ensures that leavers can’t take sensitive data with them when they part ways with the company.

• Streamlined tech support. If an employee experiences any problems with their work-issued device, an administrator can assist them remotely using mobile device management software. It simplifies problem resolution and reduces some of the burden for the IT team.

• Compliance. Centrally managed devices help ensure stronger compliance with data regulations. They help prevent data loss and fragmentation, and provide access to sensitive information that meets cybersecurity compliance standards.

• App distribution. Organizations may allowlist or denylist select apps based on their data security standards, required permissions, developer reliability, and other criteria. With mobile device management, they can control which apps can be added to the device and which can only be accessed with administrators’ permission.

• Cost savings. By using owned devices that can be passed along to new employees or retained when employees leave, companies can save on hardware and software expenses, utilize business and enterprise resources for security tools, and minimize breach risks thanks to centralized monitoring and management.

The cons

• Initial costs. As a security system, MDM pays off over time. However, the initial setup can be costly: acquiring devices, purchasing licenses, and finding solutions with required scalability can be expensive and time-consuming.

• Connectivity reliance. For mobile device management to work, monitored devices typically require an internet connection. That means if suspicious activity occurs while the device isn’t connected to a network, it may go unseen by administrators.

• Overmonitoring. Broad access to monitoring tools can sometimes sow mistrust in employees, leading to administrators and managers overextending their use to observe employee activity. This can pose the risk of observing sensitive information they otherwise would not have permission to access, and can deepen a lack of trust in a team.

• Implementation complexity. The bigger the organization, the more complex its MDM system is. Once you start adding different devices and operational systems into the mix—make that Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, or any other options—you need tools that cover it all. Some MDM solutions may only be available for certain operating systems, while others may not cover all your bases.

• Forced updates. If the IT admins determine which software can be installed on a managed device, they also maintain the responsibility for updates. To ensure the entire network remains secure, the IT team may force-update all computers at the same scheduled time, leading to frustration from employees whose workflow is interrupted and who may max out the allowed update deferrals.

• Lack of BYOD coverage. If employees use personal devices for work, it’s unlikely that IT administrators will be able to install MDM solutions on them. This makes BYOD devices more susceptible to insecure data management practices and lack of compliance, and blurs the line between personal and work-related device usage.

No MDM solution is likely to be 100% perfect and cater to every business need. The goal is to develop a system that covers all essential bases and keeps both employees and the data they handle secure on their day-to-day. It can take some mixing and matching, testing, and replacing one service with another to find what works best for your business.

Keeping company-owned device data secure with NordPass

Mobile device management solutions can first appear as a complex, expensive maze that encompasses tens or even hundreds of devices, all set to protect your organization’s most sensitive data. However, it doesn’t all have to be so complicated. You can get some of your key security aspects covered with just one tool that’s both budget-friendly and easy to manage.

NordPass is a password manager for businesses that supports flexible security. NordPass allows your organization members to create and store passwords, passkeys, one-time authentication codes, payment details, and other sensitive information in an encrypted vault.

Granular policy controls help ensure strong password policies, secure device usage, additional safety via multi-factor authentication, and external sharing practices. You can adjust required policies to apply to the whole organization, specific teams, or individual employees.

NordPass’ XChaCha20 encryption and zero-knowledge architecture maintain a high level of security and allow credentials to be shared among employees without exposing them to external parties. Employees can limit access to shared credentials to be only autofillable, shareable, or editable, while admins can transfer ownership rights for simplified onboarding and offboarding.

NordPass is available as an extension on all major browsers, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices, making it a flexible option for mobile device management across your organization, whether you’re a small business or an enterprise. All data is backed up and synchronized automatically, ensuring credentials are up-to-date whenever you need them.

Make password management the easiest part of your multi-device management system. Try NordPass today and upgrade the centralized device security standard in your organization.

A sound and thoughtful data security strategy can make a difference in a business environment because it helps organizations protect one of their most valuable assets—data—against cyberattacks.

Why is enterprise data security important?

In the digital age, data reigns supreme. These days, all businesses deal with data in one way or another. Whether it’s a financial institution handling sensitive customer data or an individual operation collecting the contact information of its clientele, data is a significant part of all enterprises, regardless of their size or industry. Data informs decision-making, improves efficiency, enables better customer service, and plays a major role in marketing.

With growing public awareness about the importance of data security and more data-related laws and regulations coming into play, companies face challenges in creating secure infrastructures and processes to handle enormous amounts of data.

Data security software management strategies are simple to establish, for instance, by conducting digital safety training or enforcing centralized password policies. Setting up an enterprise password manager can be a massive upgrade to an organization’s security practices. Although high-end software can greatly improve an organization’s security strategy, employee awareness is often what makes or breaks its effectiveness.

Failure to establish a secure perimeter frequently results in a data breach, leading to substantial regulatory fines and reputational damage. According to IBM’s Cost of Data Breach Report 2023, the global average data breach cost is estimated at $4.45 million. It’s not hard to imagine that a data breach could spell the end of a company.

As data breaches and cybercrime continue to rise and become more sophisticated, companies of all sizes and industries look for ways to ensure the security of their data. And the first step in doing so is understanding the threats you’re facing.

What threats to data security do companies face?

Cyber threats that can compromise data security in businesses come in various shapes. Here are some of the most common data security risks that every organization has to deal with.

• Phishing attacks

Phishing attacks are designed to acquire sensitive information from unsuspecting users. Hackers achieve their goal by crafting email messages that appear to be from a reputable source. In those messages, you are usually urged to download a malicious attachment or click on a dodgy link. If you follow through, the attackers can access your device and get their hands on your sensitive data.

• Accidental data exposure

Not all data breaches are caused by cyberattacks. Sometimes, they’re byproducts of human error or lack of awareness. In day-to-day office life, employees will inevitably share data and exchange access credentials. Unfortunately, security might not be at the top of their priority list, and accidents can happen: data can end up on an unsecured server, and passwords can be stored in a publicly accessible sheet. That’s why cybersecurity training sessions are critical. Once employees grasp what’s at stake and what to pay attention to, the risk of accidental data exposure can be drastically minimized.

• Malware

Malware is usually spread via email. In most instances, hackers launch a phishing campaign to trick users into downloading and installing malicious software. Once malware is on a corporate network, hackers can do pretty much anything, from tracking network activity to downloading enormous amounts of data without authorization.

• Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malware that is designed to encrypt data on the affected machine. If a ransomware attack is successful, bad actors will demand a ransom in return for decryption services.

• Insider threats

Insider threats might be the hardest to anticipate. As you can guess, insider threats are employees who intentionally harm an organization’s security perimeter. They might share sensitive data such as passwords with dubious third parties or steal business data and sell it on the black market.

What types of data security are we talking about here?

As already discussed, data security protection strategies comprise many different tools and practices. Typically, the most effective way to ensure data security is to use a combination of security practices to limit the potential surface area of an attack.

Data encryption

Data encryption is one of the easiest ways to ensure the security of sensitive information. Fancy terminology aside, data encryption converts readable data into an unreadable encoded format. Think of it this way: even if a hacker were to get their hands on the encrypted data in your servers, they couldn’t do anything unless they managed to decrypt it. Fortunately, contemporary encryption is unbelievably hard to crack without a decryption key.

Data erasure

As time passes, collected data can become irrelevant. It can clog your servers like clutter in your attic. Security-wise, irrelevant data is rarely considered a priority, and sometimes, it’s best to just get rid of it for good. Data erasure is an effective data management and security method because it shrinks the potential attack surface and liability in case of a data breach.

Data masking

Data masking is a data security technique during which a data set is duplicated, but its sensitive data is obfuscated. The benign copy is usually used for testing and training for cybersecurity purposes. Masked data is useless for a hacker because it is essentially incoherent unless the hacker knows how that data has been obfuscated.

Data resiliency

Data backups are among the easiest steps an organization can take to mitigate the potential dangers of data loss in a cyber event. Backups ensure that even if data is compromised or stolen, it can be recovered to its previous state rather than entirely disappear.

Data security vs. data privacy: What’s the difference?

Today, the terms “data security” and “data privacy” are often used interchangeably. While, in a general sense, that can be true, they’re technically distinct concepts.

Data security is a broad term that encompasses data privacy. However, when we talk about data security, we mainly refer to cybersecurity practices aimed at protecting data from unauthorized access or corruption.

Data privacy, on the other hand, is a concept that aims to ensure the way businesses collect, store, and use data is compliant with legal regulations.

How about data security vs. cybersecurity?

Similarly, you might have some questions about the difference between the terms “data security” and “cybersecurity.” The difference here is the scope of what each security type covers.

Broadly speaking, cybersecurity concerns things on the macro level: protecting servers and networks from cyberattacks as the first line of defense. Data security, on the other hand, protects the micro: the actual data stored within the networks. If cybersecurity measures fail, data security aims to keep valuable information unaffected using encryption and other measures we’ve discussed.

How does data security compliance work?

Today, most countries have laws and regulations that govern the way organizations should collect, store, and use data. Regulatory compliance can be a challenge for companies of all sizes and industries. Still, they’re vital in ensuring that your data will not be abused and remain secure at all times. Here are some of the most important regulations that relate to data security.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The GDPR is the European Union’s primary data protection and privacy legislation. Passed in 2016 and implemented in 2018, it ensures organizations handle consumer data responsibly and securely. The GDPR was one of the first legislative efforts requiring companies to ask for user consent to collect their data.

The GDPR is expanded legislation, and failure to comply can lead to penalties of up to €20 million, or 4% of a company’s annual global turnover. Thus, choosing reliable tools that help work toward compliance with GDPR, like NordPass, to manage and secure customer data, is crucial for ensuring overall enterprise security.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

The CCPA went into effect on January 1, 2020. It provides consumers in California with additional rights and protections regarding how businesses use their personal information. The CCPA is very similar to the GDPR and imposes many of the same obligations on businesses that the GDPR does, except for the implementation of robust security measures to protect customers’ personal information from unauthorized access, destruction, modification, or disclosure.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

HIPAA is the United States data protection and security legislation that regulates electronically protected health information (ePHI). It is aimed mainly at healthcare providers and partnering institutions that deal with such data. HIPAA lays out requirements for the security of ePHI, which involves specific physical, technological, and administrative safeguards. To stay compliant with HIPAA regulations, medical companies should implement some security measures: safe traffic encryption with a VPN, secure messaging apps, encrypted email services, and reliable business password management.

Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act

The SOX Act was passed in 2002 to protect shareholders and the general public from fraudulent corporate practices and to improve the accuracy of corporate disclosures. Although the act does not specify how an organization should store records, it does define which documents should be stored and for how long. The SOX Act primarily applies to public corporations.

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)

The PCI DSS is a set of regulations geared toward organizations that process, store, and transmit credit card data. It lays out requirements to ensure that all credit card-related data is handled securely.

International Standards Organization (ISO) 27001

ISO/IEC 27001 is an Information security management standard that outlines how business entities should manage risk related to cybersecurity threats. The ISO 27001 standard is used to define data security guidelines and requirements intended to protect an organization’s data assets from unauthorized access or loss. The ISO/IEC 27001 is not legislation in the sense that the GDPR is. It is rather a standard that helps businesses comply with regulations such as the GDPR cost-effectively.

Data security best practices

Data security is a complex concept that includes a variety of practices and processes working together like a well-oiled machine. The data security strategy within the organization depends on its size, IT infrastructure, resources, and several other variables. However, a few data security technologies and solutions can be applied in any organization.

Access management and controls

Access management and controls help organizations set rules for who has access to networks, systems, files, and various accounts within the digital ecosystem. Proper access management and control integration can significantly shrink the potential attack surface area.

Employee education

One of the leading causes of data breaches is human error. The obvious counter is education. For an organization that wishes to be successful security-wise, a team that is aware of the risks that might be faced and how they would be handled is crucial.

Password management

Weak, reused, or old passwords also play a significant role in data breaches. It’s understandable because today, an average person needs about 170 passwords, leading to a reliance on the same easy-to-remember passwords for multiple accounts. Ensuring that each one is unique and complex is impossible without help from technology. Password managers are tools designed to help individuals and organizations create strong passwords, securely store them, and access them whenever there’s a need. Today’s business password managers improve organizational security as a whole and spur productivity with handy features such as autofill and autosave.

Cloud data security

Many organizations rely on cloud technologies to carry out daily operations. While cloud technology offers significant benefits, it simultaneously opens up additional security risks. Misconfigured cloud technology services can lead to data leaks and breaches. Therefore, you must take action to ensure that any cloud apps you use are properly configured to limit potential risks and prepare a robust cloud security strategy for your company.

Data encryption

As discussed earlier, data encryption is a way to secure information within databases and servers by making it unreadable without the decryption key. Encryption is essential to overall data security and should always be employed.

Data loss prevention and backups

These days, most business-related information is stored in databases. The data they contain may be customer records, credit card details, or internal company documents. Backing up data protects the organization from accidental data loss or corruption. Regularly scheduled backups can also help in the case of a ransomware attack since they can be used to restore the affected data.

Incident response and disaster recovery plans

An incident response plan is an organization’s systemic approach to managing a security-related event. Usually, such plans are purpose-built to address malware attacks, data breaches, unauthorized network intrusions, and other cybersecurity-related events. With a comprehensive incident response plan, the organization has a clear pathway to mitigating a cyber attack in a swift and coordinated manner.

A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is focused on broader business continuity and recovery efforts in the face of major disasters: natural catastrophes, power outages, or system failures. DRP encompasses a more extensive range of scenarios than IRP, often including data backup and redundancy, a proactive cybersecurity approach, alternate work locations, and comprehensive recovery procedures.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication is a method that requires two or more authentication factors such as additional passwords, PINs, passphrases, tokens, geographical locations, or biometric data. In the business world, multi-factor authentication provides the highest level of security required by GDPR or HIPAA regulations. MFA works like a safety net and can save an organization a lot of trouble and money if login credentials to corporate accounts are breached. In most cases, cyber crooks are not able to obtain extra authentication factors.

It seems only reasonable to ask for extra proof of identity online. However, many individuals and companies rely solely on one layer of security. The reason may be a common misconception that MFA is difficult to adopt, especially in a corporate environment where it has to be incorporated into the existing IT infrastructure. In reality, advanced password management tools like NordPass can smooth the whole process and make the adoption of multi-layered security easy like a piece of cake.

Email security

For many, emails are their main work tool. No wonder so many corporate secrets get into the wrong hands through carefully crafted phishing emails. Cybercrooks bend over backward to make their fraudulent attempts look legit. Luckily, some measures enhance company email security.

First of all, well-trained employees who are aware of various types of cybercrime are less likely to risk the company’s safety by clicking random links or acting in haste. Second, corporate-wide solutions like multi-factor authentication, encrypted VPN, or email masking create further layers of security, contributing to the overall safety of an organization. Finally, the random and complex passwords stored in an encrypted vault are the solid foundation of email security and should never be underestimated.

The Future of Data Protection

Technological developments like AI-powered tools create new opportunities for cybercriminals to compromise data security and obtain highly valued sensitive information. Businesses need to think fast to prepare themselves for emerging threats and keep a close eye on their data security systems to ensure they don’t leave any room for cybercrooks to interfere.

AI enhancements. What’s the best way to fight AI-powered fraud tools? AI-powered security tools. AI can enhance data security systems by speeding up threat response times and providing more sophisticated analysis of your organization’s threat landscape. AI tools can also provide live monitoring of data security systems.

Multicloud security. While cloud security has become somewhat of a norm for businesses, developments in quantum computing pose risks that it may not be sufficient in the future. Multicloud security provides broader support for data protection. Companies use tools from different cloud solution providers to decentralize access to sensitive information and increase their overall security.

Quantum security. Although quantum cybersecurity is still in the conceptual stage, its practical use is already being discussed by tech experts. Quantum computing has the potential to provide new kinds of complex encryption for sensitive data that could not be bypassed by non-quantum means.

How NordPass Business can help

As mentioned, weak, old, or reused passwords are often the cause of a data breach. Password fatigue is a major factor that leads people to use weak and easy-to-remember passwords across multiple accounts. However, password fatigue can be mitigated with the help of a corporate password manager.

NordPass Business is purpose-built to improve organizational security and take a load off employees when creating and remembering passwords. Keep all your business passwords, credit cards, and other sensitive information in a single encrypted vault and securely access it whenever you need. Thanks to company-wide settings present in NordPass Business, you can set password policies across your organization. And with the help of the Admin Panel, access management is easier than ever.

NordPass Business is ISO/IEC 27001:2017 certified and has received the SOC 2 Type 2 attestation, making it a critical security tool for companies striving to meet GDPR and HIPAA compliance standards.

Try NordPass Business with the 14-day free trial and enjoy improved productivity and security within your organization.

Organized crime is no longer out on the streets—it has seeped into the very fiber cables that keep the internet running, creating new hybrid and wholly virtual threats that require unprecedented strategies to tackle. In March, Europol published the 2025 EU Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment, or the EU-SOCTA. It revealed that the DNA of organized crime has been undergoing serious shifts, posing threats that may be more dangerous and destabilizing than ever before.

EU-SOCTA 2025 at a glance

The EU-SOCTA is a report issued by Europol every 4 years that assesses serious and organized crime activities in the EU and the evolution of criminal tendencies and practices. It serves as the foundation for the EU’s strategic approach toward tackling serious and organized crime.

The data is extracted from Europol’s investigations and contributions from other law enforcement partners around the globe. The EU-SOCTA helps decision-makers, whether at the governmental, business, or individual level, to set priorities and to effectively prepare for and combat serious threats.

Europol is the EU’s law enforcement agency, focusing on combating serious international crime and terrorism in all Member States. It collaborates with other EU agencies and international partners to strengthen global security cooperation and share intelligence on ongoing threats.

For the 2025 assessment, Europol gathered data from thousands of law enforcement investigations and used the expertise of EU agencies and international organizations to create the most comprehensive analysis of serious and organized crime to date.

Destabilizing the Union

The 2025 EU-SOCTA makes it clear—as the world evolves, so does the DNA of organized and serious crime. The online space has become its new home and facilitator, as criminals increasingly rely on the internet to conduct their activities.

Switching their primary headquarters to the digital world—spaces like the dark web, social media platforms, and e-commerce sites—allows criminals to utilize digital tools for more malicious attacks. Developments in the tech world facilitate speedier execution on a larger scale and make it harder to track down perpetrators, particularly those relying on decentralized blockchain systems.

The report names the destabilization of the EU as one of the biggest threats posed by serious and organized crime. Criminal organizations aim to reduce trust in the legal system and government through the spreading of violence, illicit proceeds, and corruption. They rely on digital innovations like AI to conceal their activities and make it harder to trace crime back to its source.

The offender profile: younger and more violent than before

As the way the crimes are committed shifts, so does the profile of the criminal. As the 2025-SOCTA reveals, the criminals are becoming younger, more tech-savvy, and more brutal than before. In an interview with NordPass in 2024, Adrianus Warmenhoven mentioned that people working for cybercriminals may not know the nature of their work, instead assuming they’re hired as IT consultants.

The report notes the exploitation of younger perpetrators to conduct illegal trade and commit crimes for a reward. Young recruits—including minors—are preferred as they’re more willing to conduct illicit activities without financial reward. Blackmail is often used to maintain this working relationship.

Criminals use end-to-end communication services to plan and execute their attacks. Encrypted channels make it harder to intercept communication and offer anonymity, IP obfuscation, rotating IDs, or automatic message deletion after a set period of time.

One aspect remains largely unchanged: financial interest. Criminal networks use illicit means to fund their operations, whether via corruption or money laundering. Some may be working for hire, receiving funding from larger organizations to disrupt society and conduct their activities.

Part of the shift is relying less on legal tender and more on cryptocurrencies to funnel illicit funds. Cybercriminals use blockchain technology to transfer the money as crypto, making it harder for investigators to track down or recover. Crypto technology has also been combined with malware to bolster cryptojacking, a type of attack where a device is infected and hijacked to be used as a crypto mining machine.

Threat actors tend to start with smaller misdemeanors, building up the damage over time, leading to the so-called woodpecker effect. By acting small at first, they make it harder to see the bigger picture and prevent illicit actions in the early stages of organized attacks.

As these acts grow in scale, so does the use of violence. The report notes that violence related to organized crime has spilled over into public places, with a new service model emerging. Violence-as-a-service sees actors working with state agents or criminal organizations to promote and provoke violence in EU Member States and outside their borders. It involves both physical and digital activities, such as extortion, blackmail, and psychological violence.

Hybridizing crime: the online spills into the offline

The report’s title, “The changing DNA of serious and organized crime,” hints at the big shift over the years as new types of hybrid threats emerge, mixing a variety of criminal activities to maximize profits and success rates.

Europol notes a close link between the increasingly hybrid nature of serious and organized crime and recent geopolitical tensions. The intersection of online and offline criminal activities, technological advancements, and the role of state and ideological actors in these crimes create more dangerous threats and unprecedented challenges.

For criminals, each technological development is a new opportunity to increase their toolkit and create new, unpredictable threats. The internet has done a massive service to cybercriminals, who now rely on the dark web or decentralized blockchain networks to obfuscate their activities, infiltrate their targets, and participate in illegal data trades.

Some serious crimes aren’t even conducted offline anymore—every step, from the initial idea to its execution, is 100% online. In fact, Europol notes that nearly all forms of serious and organized crime have a digital footprint.

Through hybridization, criminal networks act more as proxies on behalf of other organizations or even hostile states to destabilize the EU and weaken its economy. The report lists fraud, child sexual exploitation, migrant smuggling, cyberattacks, waste crime, and trafficking of illicit goods and weapons as some of the key activities facilitated by hybrid threat actors.

Cybercrime expertise has become a requirement. Ransomware attacks have proven to be profitable, targeting high-profile businesses or government agencies. Such attacks can impact essential services, particularly those in the public sector, further sowing distrust in institutions.

The (continuous) emergence of artificial intelligence

As with seemingly all things tech lately, AI is the name of the cybercrime game. Europol lists AI developments and quantum computing among the potential accelerators for serious and organized crime, particularly given the rapid developments in these fields.

Despite their relative novelty, AI systems like large language models (LLM) and generative AI have already been put to practical use by criminal networks. Through AI tools, criminals can improve their efficiency, act more seamlessly, and perform operations that are harder to prevent or combat.

Generative AI, in particular, has been helpful thanks to its low entry level. Any criminal can put in a prompt to create a script in their chosen language, which can then be used for spoofing, creating deepfake materials, or otherwise facilitating illicit activities. AI-powered voice notes and video materials pose a high risk of identity theft.

AI has also broadened the scope of attacks even further. Although online attacks were already far-reaching, AI requires fewer resources than previously observed. Some cybercriminals have been utilizing AI to brute-force more complex passwords, making credentials that were previously considered relatively resistant to threats vulnerable.

Although quantum computing is still relatively theoretical, criminals already operate with the anticipation of its eventual practical application. Access to quantum computing may pave the way for more efficient and sophisticated decryption technology, which would make data currently protected by encryption algorithms easier to breach.

The timeliness of AI is both its advantage and its downside for criminals. Its applicability is still relatively limited, and if illicit AI use increases, developers will likely implement preventative measures. Legislation will catch up, too, as legal entities are already starting to implement policies that regulate AI usage.

For-profit cybercrime flourishes

Europol notes the emergence of crime-as-a-service, where criminals act as corruption brokers and use digital tools for profit-driven operations. Corruption remains one of the biggest threats to businesses and government institutions, “embedded in the very DNA of crime.” Due to its massive impact on economic systems, corruption is interspersed in practically every form of serious and organized crime.

Criminals rely heavily on money laundering to procure funds. The infiltration of legitimate funds for money laundering is high-risk, high-reward. Transactions require an intricate system of hard-to-trace financial systems. However, the biggest operations can generate as much as billions of euros, making them an intrinsic part of serious and organized crime.

Crime-as-a-service is favored by state actors. It can help sanctioned states circumvent financial embargoes. In exchange for illicit services, criminals may receive a safe haven in the state that hired them. Criminals—particularly those working fully online—receive access to resources funded by the state to conduct disinformation campaigns or supply chain disruptions. This grants state actors plausible deniability, as attacks are conducted by proxy, and the state’s involvement may be too obscure to be proven.

Social media accounts have also been broadly utilized for serious and organized crime, especially on political grounds. Criminals may create fake social media accounts—often referred to as troll farms—to spread misinformation or propaganda, manipulate the newsfeed, and further instill doubt and confusion.

Cash-intensive businesses are the target

Although it may appear that government agencies are all criminals care about, small and medium-sized businesses are just as lucrative as targets for serious and organized crime. In fact, the report lists business email compromise fraud as one of the most effective ways to extract data.

According to the EU-SOCTA, all business sectors are potentially at risk of being infiltrated or exploited by criminals. However, the 3 most affected sectors are construction and real estate, hospitality, and logistics.

In some cases, data holds more value than money. It’s treated as a commodity and is at the forefront of illicit trade. Its value is in its reusability. Possession of valuable information puts a massive target on the potential victims’ backs. If stolen, strategically important data can be sold for espionage, economic advantage, or used for coercion.

Large-scale data breaches often involve login credentials dating 5 years back or older. This puts breached organizations in a particularly vulnerable situation—they may not know that their data has been compromised until years later, when a folder containing terabytes of sensitive information suddenly appears on a dark web forum.

Europol emphasizes that protecting the victims is essential to successfully tackling serious and organized crime. One key way to achieve this is cutting off the funding source for serious and organized crime at its root. Although recovering assets can be complicated, shutting criminals out from accessing them in the first place has proven to be effective. Asset recovery has proven to deter cybercriminals from pursuing further operations, as they can’t reintegrate stolen assets into the mainstream economy.

How can you improve digital defenses against serious and organized crime?

The 3 core pillars of the new DNA of serious and organized crime are:

• Destabilization of society through illicit proceeds and the use of proxies.

• Nurturing of crime in online spaces.

• Acceleration of crime thanks to AI and other emerging technologies.

The 2025 EU-SOCTA can paint a grim first impression of the current threat landscape. However, the situation is not hopeless. This research doesn’t just help Europol discover malicious agents faster and with more precision—it indicates the potential future trends, allowing businesses and individuals alike to prepare for evolving risks.

For businesses concerned about serious and organized crime, one of the best ways to stay protected is to conduct transparent operations in accordance with legal requirements and compliance policies, such as ISO-27001, NIST, or NIS2. Upon detecting suspicious activities that could be caused by serious and organized crime actors, companies should contact their legal authorities immediately.

Employee education also goes a long way. Ensure your organization is practicing proper digital hygiene and adhering to a strong and flexible password policy and secure credential usage and sharing norms. Keep your team aware of emerging threats, common scam tactics, and risks posed by AI-powered technologies.

Hybrid problems require hybrid solutions, and Nord Security offers you exactly that. Start proofing your business against complex cybercrimes with a custom-tailored cybersecurity bundle of NordPass, NordStellar, and NordLayer.

• NordPass is a password manager that helps organizations handle and share sensitive data without compromising its integrity.

• NordLayer is a network security, threat detection, and response platform that integrates seamlessly with any technology stack.

• NordStellar is a threat exposure management platform that monitors the dark web, helping organizations stay ahead of cyber threats.