2025 Cyber Predictions: Identity, AI, and Fraud Trends

Biometrics in use at Washington Dulles International Airport. — Photo: U.S. DHS/ Public domain

Bala Kumar, CPTO at Jumio has been considering the critical trends set to shape cybersecurity and identity verification in 2025. The year could 2025 mark a game-changing shift in identity verification with the rise of continuous adaptive trust.

These include the rise of continuous adaptive trust, the industrialization of fraud, and the challenges posed by AI, privacy, and compliance. Kumar has a particular focus on e-commerce and online identity verification.

Bots and AI agents will dominate dating apps and e-commerce sites, from swiping right to snagging tickets

According to Kumar: “As of this year, bot traffic has skyrocketed, now accounting for nearly half of all internet traffic. This alarming trend, compounded by the rise of AI agents, is set to unleash a wave of automated activity on e-commerce and dating platforms, fundamentally disrupting user engagement and sales. These platforms will face an unprecedented surge in automated bot activity, capable of manipulating various profile types and purchasing strategies at an alarming scale — without any human oversight.”

With online dating, Kumar thinks: “On dating apps, bots and AI agents will ruthlessly optimize profiles to capture clicks and interactions, blurring the lines between authentic connections and deceptive facades. For e-commerce, bots will wreak havoc on online shopping, particularly during high-demand events like concert ticket sales. Major platforms like Ticketmaster are already battling bots that can snatch up tickets within seconds, and with the added sophistication of AI agents, this competition for coveted items is expected to intensify.” 

How might these complexities be addressed? Kumar states: “The rise of bots and AI agents poses not only a technical challenge but also a significant threat to consumer trust and market integrity. It compels platforms to act decisively. Given that bots have the power to drastically distort user engagement and purchasing behaviors, it is crucial for platforms to respond effectively. They must deploy robust identity verification tools and advanced liveness detection technologies to unmask bot-operated accounts and safeguard the integrity of their businesses.”

Liveness Detection Tech Will Redefine Trust in the Digital World

Addressing online assessment, Kumar predicts: “In 2025, the landscape of online identity verification will be revolutionized by advancements in liveness detection technologies, particularly through innovations like the multicolored lights system. This cutting-edge technology will be capable of rapidly and accurately distinguishing real users from fraudulent representations by flashing varied colored lights during identity verification processes, analyzing the reflections and subtle changes in a way that only genuine human presence can manifest.” 

Further, Kumar expects: “As fraudsters continue to leverage sophisticated techniques such as deepfakes and AI-generated identities, these enhanced liveness detection methods will become indispensable. They will ensure that digital interactions, from banking and e-commerce to social media and beyond, are not only secure but also inherently trustworthy, reinforcing the foundational trust that digital economies rely upon. This will not only deter fraud but also streamline the user experience, making security checks seamless and almost imperceptible to genuine users.”