If you are responsible for IT and security in a growing business, 2025 likely felt relentless. Cyberattacks spiked, regulations tightened, and AI became a daily expectation across every department. For many organizations, the pace outstripped internal capacity. That is precisely why companies turned to partners like i-Tech to stabilize operations, strengthen cybersecurity, and chart a practical path forward.
Here is what actually shaped 2025, what it means for the sectors we serve, and the priorities you should anchor on as you prepare for 2026.
The Numbers That Mattered in 2025
AEC
General contractors, engineering firms, and design studios were hit hard by business email compromise. Nearly 78 percent of incidents began with credential theft through phishing or compromised Microsoft 365 tenants. Bid manipulation and fraudulent wire transfers were the most common types of loss.
Professional Services and Legal
Nearly 40 percent of firms reported a cybersecurity incident. The FBI warned about ransomware crews impersonating IT staff to gain on-site access. Average breach costs exceeded $ 5 million.
Healthcare and Senior Living
More than 500 reportable breaches occurred in the first half of the year. The Change Healthcare attack affected 192.7 million individuals and cost $ 2.4 billion. Unpatched VPNs and legacy systems were common attack paths.
Manufacturing
Ransomware crews targeted OT environments, with downtime costing an average of 42,000 dollars per hour. Vendor vulnerabilities drove more than 30 percent of incidents.
Finance
Vendor breaches were the headline risk. The Marquis Software breach created a cascading impact across more than 70 financial institutions. Third-party related incidents doubled.
Education and Non-Profits
Independent schools and mission-driven organizations saw a surge in MFA fatigue attacks and data theft. AI adoption increased, often without proper governance.
The common thread across every industry was clear. Attackers are not breaking in, they are logging in.
Regulatory Shifts You Cannot Ignore
HIPAA Security Rule overhaul
Expected finalization in May 2026. All safeguards become required, including encryption, MFA everywhere, and 24-hour incident reporting.
PCI DSS 4.0
As of March 2025, all requirements are active. Payment processing environments must meet stronger authentication and scanning standards.
AI Governance and Legal Requirements
Federal courts now require disclosure of AI-generated content in filings. Sanction cases reinforced the need for verification and documented processes.
State privacy laws
Six new state-level privacy laws will activate in 2026, along with major AI governance acts in Colorado and California.
AI Moved from Experimental to Essential
Healthcare
AI-supported documentation spread rapidly, becoming the new standard.
Legal and Professional Services
AI adoption jumped to nearly 80 percent. Research, drafting, and analysis were the primary use cases.
Finance
AI became central to fraud detection, compliance automation, and predictive modeling.
Education
AI was used for administrative support, curriculum enhancement, and automation, but lacked formal governance.
Manufacturing
Predictive maintenance and automated quality analysis offered strong ROI, though security controls often lagged.
The differentiator for 2026 is strategic AI adoption guided by strong governance.
Ransomware Shifted in Ways that Matter
Ransomware attacks grew more than 30 percent despite law enforcement takedowns. The landscape expanded to more than 80 active groups.
Three major trends:
- Exploited vulnerabilities surpassed credential theft in several industries.
- Double and triple extortion reached 76 percent of attacks.
- AI-enhanced ransomware increased exfiltration speed by over 100 times.
What 2026 Will Bring
Analysts expect 2026 to mark a new era of industrialized cybercrime driven by AI.
Key expectations include:
- Autonomous cyberattacks
- Identity is becoming the primary attack surface
- More frequent vendor and supply chain breaches
- Stronger regulatory expectations across all sectors
Four Priorities for Q1 2026
- Verify MFA everywhere
- Test your backup restoration quarterly
- Audit vendor security and update contracts
- Establish AI governance and verification protocols
The Strategic Opportunity
The organizations that thrive in 2026 will use this moment to modernize. Strong security enables safe AI adoption. Vendor governance improves operational resilience. Clear data policies reduce exposure. A modern IT foundation becomes a competitive advantage.
This is the opportunity ahead, and i-Tech is helping organizations across construction, professional services, healthcare, education, finance, manufacturing, non-profits, and fast-growing SMBs build toward it.
