ATLANTA, GA, July 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dark web marketplace listings nearly doubled from April through June 2025, reaching 2.7 million entries—a 99.36% surge that signals an alarming escalation in cybercriminal activity—according to the latest report from PDI Security and Network Solutions. A leading provider of managed cybersecurity services and a part of PDI Technologies, PDI Security and Network Solutions today released its “Q2 2025 Threat Landscape Report,” offering a data-driven view into attacker activity with these findings and more.
According to the report, ransomware activity decreased slightly in volume (-11.10%) compared to Q1, but a new group known as NightSpire rose to the top of the ransomware rankings. The financial sector emerged as the only major industry to experience increased ransomware activity in Q2, rising 14.95% over the previous quarter.
“The emergence of NightSpire and the sheer volume of stolen data listings on the dark web show how quickly the threat landscape can shift,” said Justin Heard, Director of Security Operations, PDI Technologies. “We're seeing attack timelines collapse from months to weeks, with the window between vulnerability disclosure and active exploitation shrinking dramatically. Organizations that aren't prepared now won't have time to catch up. They need proactive visibility into how attacker behavior is evolving.”
With dark web activity skyrocketing, there’s a staggering financial impact: Organizations hit by threat actors like NightSpire face average recovery costs of $4.88 million, according to IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report. Meanwhile, a 24x increase in Vidar Stealer listings suggests a sharp rise in compromised credentials and a growing list of potential victims throughout 2025.
While exploitation activity declined overall during the quarter, edge technologies such as firewalls and VPNs remained popular targets. A notable example included proof-of-concept code that was actively exploited within weeks of disclosure—highlighting the critical need for swift preventive action.
“This quarter’s data reflects a more dynamic threat environment where new actors move faster and legacy vulnerabilities still get abused,” said Josh Smith, Supervisor of Threat Intelligence, PDI Technologies. “Organizations—especially those in high-target sectors like manufacturing, finance, and retail—need to double down on vulnerability and patch management. Working with a managed security services provider can help accelerate response times and improve resilience in the face of fast-moving threats.”
The full “Q2 2025 Threat Landscape Report” is available now. Given the rapid evolution of these threats, PDI will host a live briefing and webinar on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at 2:00 pm ET. Security leaders can register online to attend and receive actionable hardening recommendations. The recording will also be accessible online following the webinar.
About PDI Security and Network Solutions
With over 25 years of cybersecurity expertise, PDI Security and Network Solutions is redefining managed security through intelligent unification and protection. The company delivers fully managed security and network services—including Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), and Firewall as a Service—through 24/7 Security Operations Centers (SOCs) and AI-powered insights via the PDI Cybersecurity Platform. PDI Security and Network Solutions protects over 2,500 organizations, processes more than 1 trillion traffic logs quarterly, and safeguards over $1 trillion in retail transactions annually. Its 97% client retention rate reflects an unwavering commitment to client success and innovation.
Nicole Petersen PDI Technologies pr@pditechnologies.com
