In this episode of SHI’s Research Breakdown, Victoria invites SHI Field CISOs Brad Bowers and Rob Forbes to discuss CrowdStrike’s 2025 Global Threat Report, which we covered in the April 18th edition of the Research Roundup newsletter. The report is one of the year’s most cited resources for understanding the evolving cyber threat landscape. The conversation covers the data and insights that matter most to enterprise IT leaders, including the growing influence of adversary tradecraft, the rising use of valid credentials in breaches, and why speed is still the most important factor in cyber defense.

Whether you’re a cybersecurity professional, IT leader, or just curious about the current state of digital threats, this episode delivers a clear-eyed look at what defenders need to know (and do) right now.

Discussed in this episode:

The growing sophistication of adversaries, including increased use of identity-based attacks and legitimate tools for lateral movement
Why over 75% of intrusions now involve valid credentials, making MFA and identity protection more critical than ever
The importance of “breakout time” and how defenders can reduce response delays
How endpoint detection and response (EDR) strategies are evolving in response to faster, more covert threats
Why adversary tradecraft—not malware—is now the primary concern for defenders
Tips for operationalizing insights from the report to strengthen your cybersecurity posture