Top Cybersecurity News Stories From February 2025

Cyber threats aren’t letting up. And neither are the experts working to stop them.

From the ever-evolving ransomware landscape to the shifting role of CTOs in cybersecurity, February was packed with big developments. Attackers are adapting, security strategies are evolving, and businesses are learning that resilience — not just prevention — is the key to survival.

With so much happening, we’re cutting through the noise to break down the biggest cybersecurity stories from February.

This month’s news features insights from top security experts on:

• Why ransomware is still thriving despite law enforcement crackdowns—and what organizations can do to stop the spread. ‍
• How the CTO role is changing, making cybersecurity a core responsibility for today’s tech leaders. ‍
• How Illumio and its partners are stepping up the fight against ransomware by strengthening Zero Trust strategies.

Why cybersecurity is now CTOs’ biggest job

The role of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) isn’t what it used to be. According to a recent Forbes article, CTOs: New And Growing Responsibilities (And How To Prepare), today’s CTOs are juggling way more than just IT infrastructure. They’re now expected to drive business strategy, lead innovation, and, more than ever, make cybersecurity a top priority.  

In short, the modern CTO has to be part tech visionary, part business strategist, and part cyber defender all rolled into one.  

Illumio CTO Ben Verghese emphasized that CTOs are now central to protecting digital assets.  

“Ensuring the safety and availability of digital assets will require the CTO to lead collaboration among product teams, operations, IT, and security to address complex technological and product-related challenges,” he explains.  

As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, Verghese sees the CTO’s role expanding beyond just technology oversight. CTOs are becoming the key figures in the C-suite responsible for driving cybersecurity initiatives and strategies.  

And forget working in a vacuum. The article highlights that CTOs need to be team players. They have to collaborate across departments to make sure security isn’t just an IT problem — it’s a company-wide initiative. With the rise of cloud computing, AI, and increasingly complex cyber threats, CTOs are now working more closely than ever with CISOs, engineering teams, and even business leadership to keep the organization both innovative and secure.  

The bottom line is that the CTO job isn’t just about keeping the tech stack running anymore. It’s about balancing speed with security, innovation with resilience.  

Businesses that get this right will stay ahead of the game. And those that don’t might have to learn the hard way.

Ransomware isn’t dead — it’s evolving

Ransomware gangs had a banner year in 2024 despite major law enforcement crackdowns.  

A recent Dark Reading article by Robert Lemos, Ransomware Groups Weathered Raids, Profited in 2024, lays out just how resilient and profitable these cybercriminals have become, even as authorities took down major operations like LabHost and Ghost and went after big names like LockBit.  

The numbers paint a stark picture: attackers posted nearly 6,000 breaches to data-leak sites last year, and the number of active ransomware groups nearly doubled, jumping from 43 to over 75.

So why hasn’t law enforcement action slowed them down? Trevor Dearing, Illumio’s director of critical infrastructure solutions, explains that while takedowns create temporary roadblocks, “they get very quickly replaced, and that's the challenge.”  

Every time authorities shut down one group, another steps up to take its place or existing groups rebrand and continue their attacks.

And the attacks are only ramping up. According to Lemos, ransomware incidents spiked by 15% in 2024, with an average of 18 successful attacks per day in January — up from less than 15 per day in December.  

That’s a staggering increase, showing just how relentless these threat actors are. Their tactics are evolving too, from double-extortion schemes to targeting supply chains and critical infrastructure.

What does all this mean for cybersecurity teams? Ransomware isn’t going away, and relying on takedowns alone won’t solve the problem. Organizations need to focus on containment and resilience. This ensures that when attackers do break in, they can’t easily spread and cause widespread damage.  

As Dearing puts it, “It's really about how do you stop the movement when they get in?” That’s the key to staying ahead in the ransomware battle.

Ransomware is inevitable. Illumio is helping partners stop the spread.

Ransomware isn’t just a threat — it’s a business killer. And Illumio is making sure its partners are ready to fight back.  

A recent Channel Futures article by Jeffrey Burt, Illumio Partners Help Customers Fight Ransomware, by Jeffrey Burt, dives into how Illumio and its partners are strengthening defenses against ransomware with a Zero Trust approach.  

According to Illumio’s recent Global Cost of Ransomware Study, ransomware attacks shut down 58% of victimized companies and caused massive financial and operational damage. It's clear that businesses need to stop assuming they can keep attackers out and start preparing for inevitable breaches.

“Breaches are inevitable, and you need to start to coach and train your customers that... you need to prepare for that,” says Todd Palmer, Illumio’s senior vice president of global partner sales and alliances.  

The numbers back him up. The report found that 40% of ransomware victims report serious revenue losses, up from just 22% in 2021, and many have lost customers or been forced to cut jobs. The stakes have never been higher.

To help partners step up their game, Illumio has spent the last 18 months providing advanced training, technical tools, and lab environments.  

Many partners already deploy strong identity and access management (IAM) solutions and perimeter firewalls. But as Palmer points out, they're often “missing a core component” of a real Zero Trust strategy — microsegmentation. Without it, ransomware can spread like wildfire once inside a network.

That’s why Illumio is doubling down on Zero Trust Segmentation, ensuring that even if attackers break in, they can’t move laterally and wreak havoc.  

By integrating these controls into existing security stacks, Illumio and its partners are helping organizations contain threats before they turn into full-blown crises. Because when it comes to ransomware, stopping the spread is just as important as stopping the break-in.

Contact us today to learn how Illumio can help you contain the spread of breaches and ransomware attacks.