More than 5.3 million on-device cyberattacks were recorded in Pakistan during the first nine months of 2025, according to new figures shared by global cybersecurity company Kaspersky.
The data reveals that 27% of affected users were general consumers, while 24% were corporate institutions, many of whom were targeted through infected USB drives, CDs, DVDs and hidden installers carrying malware.
Kaspersky’s global security expert Dmitry Brezin, speaking at a media briefing in Islamabad after attending the CTI Summit 2025, highlighted Pakistan’s growing exposure to serious cyber threats. These include exploits, ransomware-driven attacks, and targeted intrusions affecting both individuals and businesses.
Brezin said that ransomware remains one of the leading causes of corporate cyber incidents worldwide, including Pakistan. He stressed that an effective defence requires both prevention and response strategies, such as strong authentication systems, restrictions on remote access, regular data backups, and comprehensive user-awareness training to prevent phishing-based entry attacks.
Kaspersky’s report noted that malware delivered through removable media in Pakistan commonly included ransomware, worms, backdoors, trojans, password-stealing tools and spyware. The company emphasized that proactive cybersecurity measures, including advanced threat detection solutions like XDR, are essential to reducing the risk of large-scale breaches.
