Talos Intelligence's annual report, Inside the Talos 2025 Year in Review, paints a picture where attacks are accelerating and the defensive response window is shrinking. Christopher Marshall, vice president of Talos, and Peter Bailey, CEO of Cisco Security, highlight the coexistence between exploiting inherited vulnerabilities and rapidly operationalizing new threats.
One of the most significant findings is that 40% of the most exploited vulnerabilities affected outdated equipment, a clear signal that technological debt remains a structural risk factor. This is compounded by the growing weight of identity-based attacks, which make credentials, access, and trust systems prime targets.
The underlying message is straightforward: patching alone is not enough. Organizations also need to simplify their response, reduce inherited assets, and reinforce controls over identity and access.