Kaspersky says telecoms-related threats to persist in 2026

Kaspersky warned that telecommunications-related scams are set to rise in 2026, as the rollout of newer technologies introduces fresh operational risks for the sector, the cybersecurity firm said.

“Telecom operators need visibility across both dimensions: maintaining strong defenses against known threats while building security into these new technologies from day one. The key is continuous threat intelligence that spans from endpoint to edge to orbit,” Kaspersky said in a statement on Monday.

Kaspersky said that advanced persistent threats and SIM-enabled frauds will continue to put pressure on telecommunications operators next year, amid the growing technology landscape.

It said that operators are set to face challenges as threat actors are expected to leverage emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, while telco firms’ continued expansion further broadens areas for vulnerabilities.

“The threats that dominated 2025 — APT campaigns, supply chain attacks, DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service)  floods — aren’t going away. But now they intersect with operational risks from automation, quantum-ready cryptography, and satellite integration,” said Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) Senior Security Researcher Leonid Bezvershenko.

Technology transition could pose disruption if deployed unevenly or without strong controls, Kaspersky said, adding that AI-assisted network management can also further increase configuration errors which could lead to interoperability and performance issues.

Kaspersky said between November 2024 and October 2025, 12.79% of users in the telecommunications sector faced web threats and 20.76% reported on-device threats.

To recall, the Philippine cybersecurity industry is urging the government and private sector to abandon reactive, fragmented policies and adopt consistent standards and resilient infrastructure to combat rising cyber threats. — Ashley Erika O. Jose