Syed Saif Ul Hassan 
Nov 15, 2025
In a surprising turn of events, a report by Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity firm, revealed that Pakistan faced over 5.3 million cyberattacks targeting citizens' devices in the first three quarters of 2025.
The independent cybersecurity firm underscored the jaw-dropping scale of cyberattacks on Pakistan during a media briefing at the CTI Summit 2025 in Islamabad.
The company also highlighted the increasing sophistication of cyber threats carried out through ransomware, targeted attacks, and various malware types affecting both individuals and organisations.
The data provided under the Kaspersky report showed that 27% of users and 24% of businesses encountered malware via infected USB drives and other media from January to September 2025. It also outlined that over 2.5 million web-based attacks were foiled, with significant exposure to phishing schemes and botnets.
Kaspersky’s data indicated 354,000 exploitation attempts were blocked, alongside 166,000 cases of banking malware and numerous spyware and password-stealing attempts. The notable aspect of these findings is that 42,000 ransomware incidents that targeted high-value victims instead of mass distribution were recorded.
The firm clearly warned of vulnerabilities resulting from outdated systems and highlighted flaws in software such as Microsoft Office and VLC Player.
Given Pakistan being targeted by seven Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups, Kaspersky urged Pakistani internet users to ensure timely software updates, strong authentication, and the implementation of Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions to prevent future cyber intrusion on devices.
