The global government sector entered 2025 under unprecedented cyber pressure. ThreatMon’s latest intelligence analysis reveals that public institutions worldwide are facing a multidimensional threat landscape shaped by intense DDoS operations, identity-driven intrusions, expanding ransomware campaigns, and sophisticated state-sponsored espionage. This year’s data underscores a clear reality: governments are now primary, strategic targets across the entire threat spectrum.
DDoS attacks dominated government-targeted incidents, making up nearly 70% of all recorded cases. Conflict-driven hacktivist groups repeatedly targeted national portals, ministries, and public service platforms creating continuous pressure on availability and public trust.
One of the most concerning findings is the volume of government credentials discovered in infostealer logs. Countries such as India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, and Turkey showed the highest exposure. This credential leakage has become a direct enabler of ransomware intrusions and covert espionage.
State-sponsored actors most notably SideWinder continued to infiltrate networks using tailored phishing emails, vulnerable Office documents, and multi-stage loaders. Their operations remained focused on intelligence gathering across diplomatic, defense, and administrative agencies.
Groups like Qilin and Medusa exploited stolen credentials and unpatched systems to compromise ministries, municipalities, and public-health organizations. Even though ransomware incidents accounted for a smaller percentage overall, their operational impact was significant.
Israel & Ukraine: Heavy DDoS activity and repeated data exposure.
India: Mixed threat environment with defacement, breaches, and ransomware.
France & Germany: Disruption-focused attacks with targeted leaks.
Türkiye: Mostly DDoS, with several large sensitive data leaks.
Indonesia: Data breach–heavy landscape impacting millions.
United States: High number of breaches and meaningful ransomware presence.
MITRE ATT&CK mapping shows consistent use of:
Phishing
Exploiting public-facing systems
Stolen credentials
Credential dumping
Lateral movement via RDP, SMB
DDoS and data encryption for impact
Governments must strengthen DDoS mitigation, enforce phishing-resistant MFA, adopt Zero Trust principles, deploy PAM solutions, and protect session tokens to minimize identity theft risk.
The findings confirm that government agencies are facing simultaneous, multi-vector pressure—disruptive attacks, identity compromise, espionage, and ransomware. A modernized security posture is no longer optional; it is fundamental for operational continuity.
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