The Hack: Global Cybersecurity Crisis Unfolds as Major Organizations Face Sophisticated Attacks in 2025

11 September 2025 Cyber Security

The Rising Tide of Cyber Threats

Despite organizations strengthening their cyber defenses, 70% have experienced attacks in the past year. Security professionals and IT leaders are increasingly worried about their ability to recover critical data after attacks.

Major Incidents of 2025

The UK retail sector has been particularly hard hit, facing a siege from cybercriminal groups including DragonForce. Major retailers affected include Harrods, Co-Op UK, and even European Christian Dior. The attacks have also impacted supply chains, affecting companies like Peter Green Chilled, which serves major supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Marks & Spencer.

In the United States, UNFI, a major grocery wholesaler and primary distributor for Whole Foods, suffered a crippling cyberattack that disrupted its electronic ordering systems, leading to significant grocery shortages.

Government and Infrastructure Targets

The UK’s National Cyber Security Center has identified China as the dominant threat to national cybersecurity following a series of attacks on government departments and critical infrastructure. The United States, Britain, France, Germany, and other allies have also warned of a Russian cyber campaign targeting defense support to Ukraine and NATO defense sectors.

Emerging Trends and Threats

Zero-day vulnerabilities have become central to high-profile attacks, with threat actors using them not just for access but also for privilege escalation and data theft. The situation is particularly alarming as over 25% of vulnerabilities in Q1 2025 were attacked within 24 hours of being disclosed.

Future Implications

The coordination of attacks across multiple industries by groups like Scattered Spider serves as a wake-up call for organizations worldwide. Experts emphasize that having an incident response plan is essential but insufficient alone – organizations must also test their defenses through cybersecurity tabletop exercises.