Cyber Threats in Europe 2025: Key Insights from the CrowdStrike Report

Data from CrowdStrike shows that from January 2024 to September 2025, information about 2,100 European victims has been published on more than 100 so-called “leak sites.” This represents almost 22% of all identified cases, making Europe the second most frequently attacked region after North America.

Why has Europe become such an attractive target for Big Game Hunting (BGH) groups that specialize in ransomware attacks and data extortion?

1. Legal pressure and GDPR usage – paradoxically, strong data protection regulations such as GDPR have become a weapon in the hands of cybercriminals. Attackers increasingly use the threat of high fines for personal data breaches to increase pressure on victims and compel them to pay the ransom.
2. European companies as lucrative targets – Europe is home to five of the ten most valuable companies in the world, including those from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Since ransom amounts are usually proportional to the victim’s revenue, cybercriminals see European organizations as capable of paying large sums.
3. Political and ideological motives – while most eCrime groups are financially motivated, some reveal ideological or political ties. An example is the WIZARD SPIDER group, which publicly supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Big Game Hunting (BGH) attacks, involving highly targeted ransomware campaigns and data theft, remain a dominant threat. Cybercriminals utilize, among others:

• voice phishing (vishing) – increasingly used to obtain login credentials,
• fake CAPTCHA pages – so-called ClickFix, prompting victims to execute malicious code themselves,
• decentralized criminal forums (Russian and English-speaking), providing exchange of tools, access, and “malware-as-a-service” offerings.

Since 2024, there has been a rapid increase in attacks based on these methods. In Europe alone, CrowdStrike has recorded over 1,000 incidents involving fake CAPTCHAs and nearly 1,000 vishing cases.

CrowdStrike’s forecasts for 2025 leave no illusions – Europe will remain one of the main targets for cyber attacks worldwide. The motivation behind most eCrime groups remains financial factors, and methods such as ransomware, data extortion, and blackmail continue to dominate among the highest impact threats.

New techniques – including voice phishing (vishing) and fake CAPTCHA pages – demonstrate how dynamically the methods of accessing victim systems are changing. Moreover, the growing popularity of artificial intelligence drives the automation of attacks, allowing cybercriminals to act faster, more precisely, and on a larger scale.

Cyberspace has become an arena for geopolitical competition. Analysis by CrowdStrike indicates that Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea are conducting intensive operations against European government, energy, and defense organizations.

• Russia – focuses on espionage against NATO structures and countries supporting Ukraine. Groups like FANCY BEAR, COZY BEAR, and GOSSAMER BEAR conduct extensive phishing campaigns, and Russian services increasingly use so-called throwaway agents recruited via Telegram.
• Iran – conducts intelligence operations and disinformation campaigns targeted at Western Europe, mainly against states critical of Tehran.
• China – focuses on stealing intellectual property and data from technology, biotechnology, and defense sectors.
• North Korea (DPRK) – combines cyber espionage with financial activities; groups such as LABYRINTH CHOLLIMA and STARDUST CHOLLIMA steal cryptocurrencies and data from defense sector companies.

Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have become a catalyst for a wave of DDoS attacks, data leaks, and defacements targeting European institutions. Groups such as BOUNTY JACKAL, Cyber Army of Russia or Tunisian Maskers Cyber Force have conducted campaigns against critical infrastructure and public institutions. In recent months, hacktivists’ interest in industrial systems (ICS/SCADA) has also been increasing.

1️⃣ Implement agentic artificial intelligence (Agentic AI)

AI is becoming a weapon on both sides of the barricade. Solutions based on agentic AI allow automating incident analysis, alert triage, and response actions – increasing SOC effectiveness with limited resources.

2️⃣ Secure identity and access

User identities have become a new attack vector. Implement phishing-resistant authentication, just-in-time access policies, and behavior monitoring in cloud, SaaS, and on-premises environments.

3️⃣ Eliminate gaps in cross-domain visibility

Modern XDR and SIEM solutions allow correlation of events from multiple sources and real-time detection of complex attacks. It is crucial to combine data from endpoints, networks, and the cloud.

4️⃣ Ensure the protection of the cloud and critical infrastructure

Using Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) enables monitoring configurations and quickly responding to anomalies and abuses.

5️⃣ Prioritize vulnerabilities using an adversary-focused approach

Cybercriminals increasingly exploit publicly known vulnerabilities and combine them in so-called exploit chaining, allowing rapid system takeover and bypassing defenses. To mitigate this risk, organizations should regularly update key systems, especially those accessible from the Internet – such as web servers or VPNs – and monitor anomalies that may indicate attempted privilege escalation.

6️⃣ Understand the adversary – and be prepared for their attack

Understanding the methods, tools, and objectives of specific APT groups allows for proactive defense adjustments. Regular red/blue team tests and simulation exercises should become a standard in every cybersecurity strategy.

According to the latest study by experts at CrowdStrike, the cyber threat landscape in Europe in 2025 will become even more complex and dynamic. At the intersection of financial crime, state espionage, and hacktivist actions, a new, fluid threat ecosystem is emerging. The key to effective protection is a strategy based on Threat Intelligence, automated response, and continuous threat monitoring. An approach supported by solutions like CrowdStrike Falcon will enable companies and institutions in Europe to stay ahead of adversaries, instead of merely reacting to their actions.

As a distributor of CrowdStrike solutions, we recommend that companies in Poland and Europe implement a security strategy based on data, visibility, and immediate response. Because in a world where cyberattacks last seconds – every moment counts!

You can download the full report here ➡️ https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/resources/reports/2025-european-threat-landscape-report/