This month in security with Tony Anscombe – December 2025 edition

As 2025 draws to a close, Tony looks back at the cybersecurity stories that stood out both in December and across the whole of this year

29 Dec 2025

As we close out 2025, it’s time for ESET Chief Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe to review some of the main cybersecurity stories from both the final month of the year and 2025 as a whole. Among the stories that caught Tony’s eye are:

U.S.-based organizations paid more than $2.1 billion in ransom payments to ransomware gangs from 2022 to 2024, according to the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). While staggering, this figure is still just the tip of the iceberg.
The Texas Attorney General is suing five major TV manufacturers, alleging that they illegally collected their users’ data by secretly capturing what the viewers watch.
Indeed, Tony goes on to take a look back at some of the most notable cyber-incidents for the entire year, highlighting some of the most pernicious tactics and techniques used by threat actors.

Be sure to check out the November 2025 edition of Tony’s security news roundup for more news and insights.

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About Author

AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

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