Igor Rudenko has worked in cybersecurity for over a decade, with experience ranging from Ukrainian law enforcement and international cybercrime investigations to automation engineering and DevSecOps roles in the U.S. private sector. His background combines prosecutorial work and technical expertise; he has participated in cases against ransomware groups such as Egregor, addressed transnational fraud operations, and now focuses on helping a U.S. company strengthen its application and cloud security.
In this interview, Rudenko shares his perspective on cybersecurity trends in 2025, the evolving threat landscape, and the steps organizations can take to adapt and strengthen their defenses.
Q: Igor, you’ve worked on both sides of cybersecurity—first in law enforcement, now in the private sector. How would you describe the evolution of cyber threats over the past decade?
A: When I started in 2011, most incidents we saw were relatively straightforward—phishing, basic malware, sometimes small-scale fraud. Over time, the operations became more organized and technically advanced. Ransomware groups, for example, shifted from simple encryption schemes to double extortion tactics, threatening to leak data as well as lock it. The Egregor group is a good example. They used not just ransomware but also tools like Cobalt Strike and Qakbot to move laterally and cover their tracks, and they laundered payments through cryptocurrency wallets.
The speed at which attackers adapt is striking. Now, with the rise of AI, we’re seeing even more automation—malware that mutates to evade detection, or deepfake technology used for social engineering. The attack surface has grown, too, with cloud services, supply chains, and IoT devices all becoming targets.
Q: You’ve led investigations into ransomware, insider trading, and large-scale fraud. Are there lessons from those cases that you think organizations should keep in mind today?
A: One of the main lessons is that attackers almost always go for the weakest link. In the Egregor case, they exploited misconfigurations and overlooked access controls. In large-scale fraud cases, social engineering was often the entry point.
Another important lesson is the need for international cooperation. Cybercrime rarely stays within one country’s borders. During the Egregor investigation, we worked closely with French and American authorities, exchanging evidence and intelligence to coordinate our efforts. That collaboration was essential for disrupting the group’s infrastructure and preventing further attacks.
For organizations, these experiences highlight the importance of having clear incident response plans that account for legal and regulatory requirements in different jurisdictions. Building relationships with law enforcement and actively participating in information-sharing networks can make a real difference. Timely sharing of threat intelligence not only helps prevent attacks from spreading but also supports investigations and strengthens overall resilience.
Q: What trends do you see as most urgent for organizations to address in the next few years?
A: AI-driven threats are becoming more common. Attackers are using machine learning to automate phishing, mutate malware, and analyze stolen data. Defenders need to use AI as well—for anomaly detection, behavioral analytics, and automated incident response.
Zero Trust architecture is another key trend. The traditional perimeter is gone; every request needs to be authenticated and authorized, regardless of where it comes from. Quantum computing is still on the horizon, but organizations with long-term sensitive data should start thinking about quantum-resistant encryption. Supply chain security is also critical. Many recent breaches have started with a compromised third-party vendor or a misconfigured cloud service.
Q: What practical steps can organizations take to adapt to these changes?
A: The first priority is to embed security directly into your development and deployment workflows. This means integrating automated code analysis, vulnerability scanning, and policy enforcement into your CI/CD pipelines. By doing so, you can catch and address security issues early in the software lifecycle, rather than relying on manual reviews or post-release fixes.
Another essential practice is to implement Zero Trust principles and least privilege access throughout your environment. You should operate under the assumption that any segment of your network could be compromised. By restricting access rights to the minimum necessary for each user or service, and requiring strong authentication at every step, you can significantly limit the potential impact of a breach.
Automation is also critical, both for threat detection and for incident response. Given the speed and scale of modern attacks, manual processes are no longer sufficient. Automated monitoring, alerting, and response mechanisms allow you to react to threats in real time and reduce the window of exposure.
Finally, continuous security training remains vital. Human error is still a leading cause of security incidents, so regular awareness programs and simulated phishing exercises are necessary to keep staff vigilant and reinforce best practices across the organization.
Q: After over a decade in the field, what keeps you optimistic about the future of cybersecurity?
Igor Rudenko: The pace of innovation on the defense side is encouraging. There’s much more collaboration now—between organizations, across borders, and between the public and private sectors. AI and automation are making a difference, and the community is quick to adapt and share knowledge. As long as we keep learning and working together, I think we can keep up with the evolving threat landscape.
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