AI phishing campaigns, QR-code scams, and infrastructure exploits, Darktrace’s 2025 mid-year review reads like a dystopian novel. But OSINT shows us these threats are very real.
Phishing Gets Smarter
Darktrace reports a rise in AI-driven spear-phishing. Emails are no longer riddled with typos; they’re clean, context-aware, and nearly indistinguishable from genuine communication.
OSINT monitoring of leaked phishing kits revealed QR-code-based attacks spreading widely, harder to detect and increasingly creative. (Darktrace)
Critical Infrastructure at Risk
Perhaps the most alarming: industrial control systems being targeted. OSINT confirms chatter about vulnerabilities in utilities software, with hackers trading exploitation guides.
Why OSINT Matters Here
Without OSINT, these developments might remain invisible until too late. Public repo scans, forum leaks, and toolkits give warning. How many organizations act on these warnings before attacks land?
Strategic Takeaway
The cyber threat landscape isn’t just evolving, it’s accelerating. OSINT is the only way to keep pace, bridging what’s happening in hacker communities with what defenders need to know.
Darktrace’s review is sobering, but OSINT ensures we don’t fight blind. The threats may be smart, but transparency can still outpace them.
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