Kaspersky Uncovers The Cyber Threats Defining The First Half Of 2026 In Middle East, Turkiye And Africa Region (META) - Brand Spur
According to Kaspersky’s telemetry, online threats exploitingvulnerabilities in websites, emails and web services continued to affectmillions of users across the META region during the first half of. . .
According to Kaspersky’s telemetry, online threats exploitingvulnerabilities in websites, emails and web services continued to affectmillions of users across the META region during the first half of 2026JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, July 30, 2026/ — Kaspersky’s(www. Kaspersky. co. za) Global Research & Analysis Team (GReAT)reveals key cyber threat trends for the first half of 2026 at the recentCyber Security Weekend for the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa region(META). As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, cyberthreats arebecoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated. The rapid adoption ofartificial intelligence (AI), coupled with ongoing geopolitical andeconomic instability, is contributing to the rise of cybercrime and thegrowing complexity of cyberattacks. According to Kaspersky’s telemetry, online threats exploitingvulnerabilities in websites, emails and web services continued to affectmillions of users across the META region during the first half of 2026. Specifically, Kaspersky detection systems stopped 5,7M attacks fromvarious online resources in South Africa, 4,5M in Kenya and 1,6M inNigeria. Turkiye recorded the highest percentage of users affected by web-basedthreats at 22. 8%, followed by Kenya (21. 2%), Qatar (19. 3%), Nigeria(18. 4%) and South Africa (17. 2%). In contrast, Saudi Arabia, Jordan andPakistan registered the lowest share of users targeted by web-borneattacks in the region. AI is transforming attacker operationsKaspersky experts report that threat actors are increasingly integratingAI into different stages of their operations. Large language models arealready being used to generate phishing emails, malicious code andsupporting operational content. AI is also beginning to play a larger role in malware development. Modern language models are capable of generating substantial portions ofmalicious software, from initial code scaffolding to functional modules. Researchers have already observed AI-assisted malware development incampaigns linked to the FunkSec group, which deployed Rust-based malwarecapable of data theft, encryption and process manipulation. Similarly,during the RevengeHotels campaign in 2025, threat actors used largelanguage models to generate portions of the infector and downloadercode. “We expect AI to remain one of the key factors shaping the threatlandscape in 2026, as we already see how it is reshaping attackerworkflows and accelerating their operations,” said Sergey Lozhkin, Headof Global Research and Analysis Team in APAC and META regions atKaspersky. “By lowering the time and cost required to develop and adaptmalicious tools, AI allows threat actors to iterate faster and scaletheir efforts. Defenders should be prepared for quicker shifts intactics. ”Emerging trends shaping the cyber threat landscapeIn addition to the growing use of AI by cybercriminals, Kasperskyexperts identified several trends that organisations should monitorclosely:Also read:https://brandspurng. com/2026/07/30/nigeria-international-gospel-music-awards-2026-unveils-nominees-ahead-of-lagos-ceremony/AI-driven malware evolution: generative models can rewrite malwarein different languages or architectures, making malicious code harder todetect, and faster to deploy at scale. Cloud-based data exfiltration: attackers increasingly route stolendata through legitimate cloud and file-sharing services to blend in withnormal traffic. Ransomware targeting operations: some groups disrupt production andbusiness processes, not just encrypt data, to increase pressure forpayment. AI agents as persistence mechanisms: some AI agent solutions aregranted broad or even full system access. If compromised, attackerscould modify the system prompt or the agent’s configuration, forexample, causing it to download a payload on every startup. Malicious AI skills become a new attack vector: as AI agents gainbroader access to enterprise systems, attackers start to exploitcompromised skills to manipulate agent behaviour, steal sensitive data,execute unauthorised actions, and establish persistent access. Thiscreates a new layer of risk where trusted AI tools can be turned intopowerful mechanisms for cyberattacks. As cyberthreats continue to evolve alongside emerging technologies,Kaspersky recommends that organisations strengthen their cybersecurityposture through continuous vulnerability management, timely patching,employee awareness training, threat intelligence, and advanced securitysolutions like Kaspersky Next (https://apo-opa. co/4xbceIX), capableof detecting sophisticated and AI-assisted attacks.