2025 is here—what should we expect?

As the new year kicks off, it’s only natural to start thinking about what’s ahead and make predictions. And so, we reached out to a few top experts on the NordPass team to find out what they think is coming in cybersecurity in 2025. The answers we got were not only varied and engaging but also unexpected and, at times, controversial. Here’s what they had to say:

Prediction #1—Jonas Karklys, CEO of NordPass

“Cybersecurity tools like password managers will help people reduce digital anxiety.”

“With AI adoption booming, fake news spreading like wildfire, and cyber threats becoming more sophisticated by the day, it’s no surprise that people feel overwhelmed and vulnerable online. The good news? Cybersecurity tools, like NordPass, are already providing significant support, making it much easier to manage accounts, protect sensitive data, and stay in control of who has access to their information.

As these solutions continue to evolve to tackle the latest challenges head-on, like AI-powered phishing or 5G network vulnerabilities, they’ll empower people to face the digital world with more confidence and truly take charge of their online lives. The digital world should be a place where everyone can be themselves and realize their potential—not a place where they’re constantly worried about what’s around every corner. Let’s make that happen.”

Prediction #2—Marvin Petzolt, Lead Security Architect at NordPass

“AI will make scams much more realistic.”

“In recent years, chatbots have become more and more lifelike, and now, the new models are even adding emotions to their responses. Because of this, I predict that, in 2025, we’ll see a rise in AI-powered phishing and scam attacks. AI makes it incredibly easy to pull information from social media that criminals can use to create super convincing scams on a much larger scale.

Picture this: you get a phone call, and the voice on the other end sounds just like someone you know—maybe a relative or an old friend. They say they urgently need help: emergency funds, rent money, or money for medical bills. These kinds of scams will start happening more often, and without the right security measures, some people could easily be fooled on a level we’ve never seen before.

That’s why it’s going to be more important than ever to be cautious about what we share online—keeping it private and to a minimum.”

Prediction #3—Karolis Arbaciauskas, Head of Product & Business Development at NordPass

“Passwords will endure and grow in volume.”

“While passwordless authentication methods, like passkeys, are starting to gain momentum, it’ll take some time for them to catch on across consumer and shadow IT sectors. So, my prediction for 2025 is that passwords will still play a major role in authentication.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most people had around 70 passwords. But with remote work becoming the norm and more people using collaboration and streaming services, that number went up to about 170 by 2024. Looking ahead to 2025, with more AI-driven tools requiring authentication, we’re likely to hit an average of 190 passwords per user. Unfortunately, it also means that weak, reused, or stolen passwords will still make up around 70–80% of cyberattacks—but even that could rise in 2025. The fact remains that this growing number of passwords highlights the need for better password management for all of us.”

Prediction #4—Jolanta Balciene, Head of Product Marketing at NordPass

“Cybersecurity will be seen even more as a business differentiator.”

“No matter which cybersecurity market report you look at—whether it’s from Gartner, IBM, or McKinsey—you’ll see that this sector is growing at a very high speed. Due to the increasing number of cyber threats, more companies are now investing in cybersecurity products and services to protect their IT infrastructures and their customers’ data. And so, I believe that in 2025, cybersecurity will stand out even more as a key business asset.

What I mean by that is that organizations all around the world will not only invest more in cybersecurity tools to defend themselves against threats like AI-powered phishing, ransomware, and malware, but they will also position cybersecurity itself as a key value proposition. As a result, customers will more actively seek out companies that have known certifications and cybersecurity measures in place—simply to make sure they are interacting with brands that prioritize their security.”

Prediction #5—Ieva Soblickaite, CPO at NordPass

“Political tensions may impact how cybersecurity is managed.”

“The relationship between cybersecurity and the global political climate has definitely gotten more complicated over the last few years. Many governments are struggling to match the pace of technological growth, often falling behind when it comes to implementing laws that protect digital infrastructure—which can leave critical systems exposed.

At the same time, the rise of controversial political powers is raising concerns about things like digital surveillance, censorship, and information manipulation. There’s a fear they might try to control internet access, limit free speech, and use cyber tools to go after their opposition.

On top of that, rising geopolitical tensions and military conflicts are making things worse, with some governments using cyberattacks as part of their military strategy. As a result, we’re now seeing more sophisticated attacks aimed at critical infrastructures and democratic organizations, which shows that cybersecurity isn’t just a technical challenge anymore, but a major issue in global diplomacy.

So, in 2025, I’m afraid we’ll likely see these problems grow. We’ll face more risks to critical systems, more manipulation of information, and more cyberattacks targeting democratic institutions. And while we do have some data privacy regulations in place right now, those could change at any time. Therefore, it’s in each of us to take steps to protect our data and minimize the risk of it being used against us.”

Prediction #6—Ignas Valancius, Head of Engineering at NordPass

“The time to crack passwords will be even shorter.”

“I’m sure AI has come up in a lot of predictions, and mine won’t be any different, so here goes: in 2025, the time it takes to guess, social engineer, or brute force passwords is going to drop dramatically, due to AI tools in the hands of cybercriminals.

Based on our own “Top 200 Most Common Passwords” research, we know that simple passwords like “123456” or “qwerty” can be cracked in under a second. The more complex the password, the longer it takes, but with the increasing computing power behind AI, hackers will be able to try many more combinations in less time. So even more complex passwords will be cracked faster. I’m not saying that super long, random 18-character passwords are at immediate risk, but shorter ones? They could be in danger.

And let’s not forget that the more people use AI, the more it learns about them. This is to say that many people already share sensitive data with “free” AI tools to get things done, but here’s the catch—nothing’s really “free.” That data gets used for training, tracking, and, even worse, creating detailed profiles for more targeted attacks. So, as we move forward, it’s crucial to keep our passwords long and strong, and tread carefully as we interact with AI tools.”

Prediction #7—Jonas Karklys, CEO of NordPass

“Passkeys will get more recognition.”

“In 2024, we saw passkeys get massive support from major players like Google, Amazon, PayPal, and Facebook, who backed them as the next step beyond traditional passwords. Looking at the adoption rate, I believe that in 2025, even more companies will jump on the passwordless bandwagon, making it easier for their users to adopt passkeys across their online accounts.

The reasons are simple: passkeys offer better security, helping to prevent many common incidents, and they’re much easier to use than typing out long, complex passwords. Today, it’s all about security and convenience, and if there’s a solution that provides both, it’s a winner. One thing’s for certain—NordPass will be there not only to continue supporting passkeys but also to help other organizations adopt passwordless technology through our services like Authopia.”

Summary

The NordPass team’s predictions for 2025 highlight both the challenges and opportunities of cybersecurity, showing just how crucial it will be for both individuals and businesses. While we’d all love to see the threats disappear, it’s certain they’ll only become more complex. That means it’s up to us to step up our game and protect our digital valuables.

If you’re looking for a way to do that, we encourage you to try NordPass and see how it can level up your cybersecurity and overall online experience. With the free 14-day trial, you can get a good sense of how it’ll keep your data safe in 2025 and beyond. The choice is yours!

Though this information might be news to you, it’s not to cybercriminals. Weak and reused passwords are a reliable gateway to businesses’ sensitive data. Depending on the type of cyberattack, up to 80% of successful data breaches can be attributed to weak or stolen credentials.

You might consider implementing a password policy to encourage your team to use stronger passwords. But how can you create a policy that works, and what should you include? Today, we’re talking about best practices for password policies.

What is a password policy?

A password policy informs your team about how to make decisions around creating and managing passwords.

A password policy aims to improve cybersecurity by preventing cyberattacks that rely on weak and reused passwords. That usually means establishing conventions around passwords that make them difficult to hack.

Password policies can also refer to rules and guidelines around setting passwords internally. This gives businesses administrative control over which password criteria an internally developed system can accept.

Because these policies can be enforced automatically by software, the advice below focuses on external-facing password policies. In other words, it will offer advice for establishing the guidelines employees should follow when creating passwords for external accounts or software for corporate use, such as Outlook, Google Workspace, or Zoom.

Why do you need a password policy?

To understand the need for a password policy, let’s consider the alternative — looking at the default behaviors around password management in a corporate setting.

Weak passwords are the (unfortunate) standard

Without guidance, users reliably choose weak passwords.

Weak passwords can be easily guessed or hacked with minimal effort. “Password,” for instance, is as weak as they come. And yet our research reveals that this is the most common password in 2022. This password has been used millions of times around the world.

If you suspect that internet users adopt more secure behavior when creating corporate credentials, a study of breached Fortune 500 companies has shown this is not so.

Predictable passwords such as “123456” topped the list of most common passwords, with others like “abc123” and “sunshine” making their way to the top 10 by industry. As mentioned, the company’s name is also a common choice.

Overall, the percentage of unique passwords was only 31% for all industries – to say nothing of the unique passwords’ strength.

A different study of management, owners, and C-suite executives’ credentials demonstrated that even leadership team members are no better at using strong, secure passwords.

Suffice it to say: People use weak passwords at work.

Weak passwords represent a massive cyber vulnerability

Weak passwords, like those mentioned above, can be hacked in less than one second. So it’s no surprise that according to Verizon’s most recent Data Breach Investigation Report, credentials are involved in nearly 50% of all breaches — more than twice as often as phishing attacks.

To make matters worse, using weak passwords is often combined with poor password hygiene. The most common password hygiene sins are storing passwords in insecure locations and reusing the same passwords for multiple accounts.

Passwords stored on sticky notes on your desktop or in Excel spreadsheets are two particularly egregious examples of improper password storage. A password written in plain sight is all too convenient for an intruder in your workspace.

On your virtual desktop, a list of passwords is low-hanging fruit to cybercriminals who have secretly gained access to your device.

As you can tell, poor password hygiene can defeat even the strongest, longest password. That’s why a good password policy must address both.

Password policies and cybersecurity compliance

That password authentication is so standard, yet often, such a weak security barrier is a widespread and well-known issue known a the “password problem.” For that reason, all cybersecurity standards either directly or indirectly offer guidance on passwords.

CIS Password Policy Guide

The Center for Internet Security (CIS) is a non-profit organization with a mission to safeguard organizations against cyber threats. It publishes recommendations that, if followed, will improve businesses’ cybersecurity posture.

The CIS Password Policy Guide offers two tiers of password recommendations: one when passwords are the only authentication method and another when passwords are just one of multiple authentication methods.

So, to be more precise, identity and access management is a cybersecurity framework that allows companies to assign specific access permissions to individual users within the organization to ensure they can access only the systems, networks, and services necessary for their role. This means that, instead of granting all employees equal access to all resources, businesses can control exactly who has access to their systems and data—and for what purpose.

How does IAM work, exactly?

IAM is just a strategy, so it doesn’t work on its own. Therefore, you need the right tools to be able to enforce it and put it into practice in your business. That’s where IAM systems come in.

By definition, the goal of IAM systems is to perform two core tasks: authentication and authorization. Both of these play a part in making sure that the right person will get access to the right resources for the right reasons. Here’s how it typically works:

• First, the IAM system confirms the identity of a user by checking their credentials against a database that holds everyone’s identity and access permissions.

• The IAM system grants the user access only to the resources they’ve been assigned.

As you might expect, an IAM system typically comes with a set of dedicated tools that operators can use to easily create, monitor, modify, and delete access privileges for all members of the organization.

The role IAM plays in security

If you’re still asking yourself the question “What is IAM in cybersecurity?”, we are here to tell you that IAM is considered a critical part of cybersecurity these days and that every organization should incorporate it into its cybersecurity strategy. Why? Because IAM security is concerned with reducing identity-related access risks, improving legal compliance, and improving business performance across the entire organization.

What is more, by helping companies manage digital identities and user access to company data, IAM tools make it very hard for non-authorized parties to hack into business networks and cause problems that could lead to big financial losses.

If you asked an IT expert for a definition of identity and access management, also known as simply “IAM,” they would probably tell you that it is a cybersecurity discipline that, when followed, can help a given organization provide their employees with access to the IT tools that they need to perform their jobs efficiently.

In other words, IAM is a framework that allows companies to significantly boost their cybersecurity. This is done by restricting access to organizational resources to only those people whose identity has been confirmed and who have been assigned specific access privileges.

How does IAM work?

By definition, the goal of today’s IAM systems is to perform two core tasks: authentication and authorization. Both of these play a part in making sure that the right person will get access to the right resources for the right reasons. The process usually goes as follows:

1. An IAM system confirms the identity of a given user by authenticating their credentials against a database that contains all users’ identities and access privileges.

2. The IAM system provides that user with access to only those resources to which they were assigned.

An IAM system usually includes a series of dedicated tools which operators can use to easily create, monitor, modify, and delete access privileges for all members of the organization.

The role IAM plays in security

If you’re still asking yourself the question “What is IAM in cybersecurity?”, we are here to tell you that IAM is considered a critical part of cybersecurity these days and that every organization should incorporate it into its cybersecurity strategy. Why? Because IAM security is concerned with reducing identity-related access risks, improving legal compliance, and improving business performance across the entire organization.

What is more, by helping companies manage digital identities and user access to company data, IAM tools make it very hard for non-authorized parties to hack into business networks and cause problems that could lead to big financial losses.

Enterprise identity and access management

As you can probably guess, “enterprise identity and access management” is a phrase that refers to all of the IAM policies, processes, and tools that large-scale businesses can use to manage access to their data and resources more securely and effectively.

Many of today’s enterprise-like organizations have massive IT infrastructures that consist of a vast range of servers, databases, applications, and cloud environments — to which dozens, if not hundreds or thousands, of their employees must have easy access. Enterprise IAM solutions are, therefore, a way for those big enterprises to make their resources available to a large number of employees without making any compromises in regard to cybersecurity.

So, even if your business is a global one — that is, you have thousands of employees and run multiple projects around the world — many of the IAM solutions available today are powerful and flexible enough to give you the ability to manage user permissions and prevent unauthorized access with ease.

What is the difference between identity management and access management?

The difference between identity management and access management essentially boils down to the part each of these two frameworks plays in the process of providing users with access to company resources.

Identity management is about (as its name suggests) user identities and the many ways they can be recognized and verified. Access management, on the other hand, deals with giving or withdrawing permissions and access privileges.

IAM regulatory compliance

Many of today’s lawmakers around the world are striving towards creating and introducing new policies that will help protect the digital lives of their citizens. As a result, many of today’s data privacy regulations (including HIPAA, SOC2, and PCI DSS) require businesses to follow strict IAM policies, which means they are obligated to manage access to data very carefully.

Luckily, identity and access management solutions can be used to meet some of the compliance requirements — which is also one of the reasons why enterprises are interested in making them part of their IT environments.

Let us provide you with an example. To comply with the already-mentioned information security standard called PCI DSS, a vendor is required to establish strict IAM policies (including rules that clearly define user identities, authentication, and authorization methods), and processes that restrict access to environments where cardholder data is stored. Only with such IAM policies in place can a vendor become fully compliant with the PCI DSS standard.

Identity and access management benefits

Implementing IAM solutions offers numerous benefits for businesses, regardless of their size or location. These include:

1. Enhanced cybersecurity – IAM solutions can help all businesses – no matter their size or location – prevent data breaches and protect themselves against malware, identity theft, and phishing attacks.

2. Simplified work for IT administrators — With the use of IAM tools, IT administrators can develop new, advanced security policies and processes and implement them across the entire organization in a blink of an eye.

3. Real-time monitoring of company data access — IAM solutions allow you to remain in control of who can access what at your organization.

4. Ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations — IAM systems are designed to help users comply with legal requirements such as HIPAA, SOC2, and PCI DSS.

5. Minimizing financial and reputational losses — By allowing you to prevent fraudulent activities and unauthorized use of company resources, IAM solutions can help you maintain business continuity and avoid costly downtime.

Enterprise identity and access management with NordPass

NordPass Enterprise, an encrypted password, and passkey management platform, can be used as an IAM tool to securely provide members of your organization with access to company data, systems, and applications. How so?

First of all, when you use the Business version of the NordPass platform, you can share an unlimited number of digital entry points that you can assign to different departments or teams. This means that you can fully control access to shared credentials, payment information, and other sensitive data across the entire organization. Moreover, thanks to features such as the Activity Log, you can easily monitor all company logins to know exactly who accessed what and when.

Second, NordPass uses multi-factor authentication (MFA), as well as the single sign-on (SSO) authentication method, to identify and verify each and every user once they try to access one of the company accounts. The platform is equipped with three MFA options — an authenticator app, a security key, and backup codes — so that you can provide your team members with a few options in regard to how they can gain access to company resources.

Third, NordPass can help you achieve regulatory compliance. As mentioned, some standards (e.g., HIPAA and NIST) require organizations to implement secure access management solutions. With NordPass, not only can you easily manage access privileges, but you can also establish rules, procedures, and policies that will allow your company to meet certain specifications.

Of course, the fact that NordPass is an encrypted password management solution also means that you and your team members can use it to securely and easily generate, store, manage, and share company credentials. This is something that IAM tools cannot do — just as they cannot run password health check-ups or scan for data breaches to see if any of the credentials, payment information, or emails have been compromised – but NordPass can.