Islamabad:
Cybersecurity threats facing the global telecommunications sector are expected to persist into 2026 as operators grapple with both long-standing attacks and new risks linked to emerging technologies, according to Kaspersky’s latest Security Bulletin.
Reviewing developments in 2025, the cybersecurity firm said telecom operators continued to face pressure from advanced persistent threats (APTs), supply-chain vulnerabilities, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and SIM-enabled fraud. These threats, it warned, are unlikely to diminish in the coming year.
Kaspersky noted that targeted intrusions remained a key concern, with attackers seeking prolonged, covert access to telecom environments for espionage and strategic leverage. Supply-chain weaknesses also continued to pose risks, as operators rely on complex ecosystems of vendors, contractors and tightly integrated platforms. DDoS attacks, meanwhile, remained a practical challenge affecting network availability and capacity.
Data from the Kaspersky Security Network showed that between November 2024 and October 2025, around 12.8 per cent of users in the telecommunications sector encountered web-based threats, while 20.8pc faced on-device threats. The report added that nearly 10pc of telecom organisations worldwide experienced ransomware incidents during the period.
Looking ahead to 2026, Kaspersky said the sector’s shift from rapid technological development to large-scale implementation could introduce new operational risks. The report highlighted three areas of concern: AI-assisted network management, where automation could amplify configuration errors or act on compromised data; transitions to post-quantum cryptography, which could create interoperability and performance issues if rushed; and the integration of 5G networks with satellite-based non-terrestrial networks (NTN), increasing system complexity and potential points of failure.
“The threats that dominated 2025 aren’t going away,” said Leonid Bezvershenko, a senior security researcher at Kaspersky. “They are now intersecting with operational risks from AI automation, quantum-ready cryptography and satellite integration, requiring operators to build security into new technologies from the outset.”
Kaspersky advised telecom operators to strengthen resilience by continuously monitoring threat activity, improving staff awareness and ensuring human oversight of automated systems. It also stressed the need to treat cybersecurity as both a technical and capacity-management challenge as networks expand and evolve.
The findings underscore growing concerns about the security of critical digital infrastructure as telecom networks play an increasingly central role in economies and public services worldwide.
