Published December 18, 2024
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Paul Hague, Founder and CEO, BlackDice Cyber
From our deployments and conversations with industry leaders, here’s a reflection on what we’ve seen this year and what lies ahead in 2025.
Everyone, everywhere is under siege
This year, our work with telcos highlighted an alarming truth: the scale of cyber threats facing everyday users is much larger than most imagine. In a single month, for just 200 initial users, we blocked over 953,015 threats – that’s 31,767 daily threats, or 159 threats per user each day.
The threats we stopped weren’t just technical nuisances. They included phishing (15.6%), which steals sensitive information and deploys ransomware; adware (68%), which disrupts user experiences and opens the door to more serious attacks; and command-and-control traffic (0.5%), which allows attackers to control compromised devices. When scaled across millions of users, these numbers are staggering.
For small businesses and families, this isn’t just about lost data. It’s about lost trust, financial strain, and immense stress. This year underscored that cybersecurity isn’t just for enterprises anymore, it’s for everyone.
Closing the privacy-security gap
Regulatory frameworks like the EU’s NIS2 directive and the UK’s Online Safety Bill made headlines this year, but technologies like DNS over HTTPS (DoH) also sparked debates. While intended to improve privacy, DoH often bypasses critical security measures, leaving users vulnerable. The lesson from 2024 is clear: privacy and security must evolve hand in hand – one cannot come at the cost of the other.
Looking ahead, here are three key themes I believe will define 2025:
Cybersecurity is moving from a reactive model to a predictive one. AI is the driver behind this shift. Gartner predicts that 60% of organisations will rely on AI for security by 2025, and for good reason.
At BlackDice, we’ve already seen the power of predictive AI. Our solutions don’t just detect threats – they prevent them. By analysing network patterns, we stop risks before they materialise. This kind of innovation is no longer a luxury reserved for large corporations, it’s becoming accessible to SMBs and residential users. In 2025, AI will continue to level the playing field.
From 2020 to 2024, hybrid work and IoT adoption blurred the lines between home networks and critical infrastructure. Residential networks now handle sensitive data, making them prime targets for cybercriminals. Unfortunately, traditional firewalls weren’t built for this reality.
In 2025, telcos will be at the forefront of addressing this challenge. They’re not just providing internet access, they’re defending homes and small businesses. By embedding smarter security at the network level, telcos can protect people where it matters most: their routers and connected devices.
The biggest risk in cybersecurity today is that most people can’t afford it. In 2024, we saw underserved markets, like small businesses and residential users, remain severely vulnerable due to a lack of affordable, scalable solutions.
That’s why 2025 must focus on making cybersecurity a societal effort. Governments, telcos, and technology providers must work together to ensure security is not a privilege but a right. This includes creating tools that are simple, user-friendly, and fit for purpose for everyone – not just large enterprises.
Educate and empower: Building a cyber-savvy society
Small businesses and families often feel overwhelmed by the complexity of cybersecurity. The industry must make tools easier to use and educate users on how to manage risks.
Predict, prevent, protect: Stop threats before they happen
Traditional cybersecurity focuses on reacting to problems after they occur. In 2025, AI will enable us to predict and prevent threats. For example, by blocking unnecessary junk data, we’ve saved telcos millions while improving network performance.
Cybersecurity for everyone, everywhere
Telcos are the gatekeepers of the connected, digital world. In 2025, they must lead the charge in delivering enterprise-grade security to residential users and SMBs. At BlackDice, we’re committed to empowering telcos to protect every home and business, creating confidence in the connected world that we live, work and play in.
2024 proved cybersecurity is a societal challenge. In 2025, we must rise to meet it. We must act boldly, collaboratively, and inclusively to build a safer digital future for everyone.
To all the telcos, businesses, and integration partners we’ve worked with this year: thank you for your partnership and trust. 2025 is the year we redefine what’s possible in cybersecurity.
Paul Hague
Founder & CEO, BlackDice Cyber