Telecoms Under Cyber Siege as Old Threats Meet New Tech Risks: Kaspersky
Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has warned that advanced persistent threat (APT) campaigns, supply chain attacks, network-disrupting DDoS assaults, and SIM-based fraud have significantly increased pressure on telecom operators over the past year. According to the company, the rapid expansion of new technologies is adding fresh layers of risk to these long-standing threats.
In its latest Cybersecurity Bulletin, Kaspersky notes that alongside traditional risks, emerging factors such as AI automation, quantum-ready cryptography, and satellite integration are reshaping the telecom threat landscape.
The bulletin’s final chapter, which analyzes the telecom cybersecurity situation in 2025 and outlines potential challenges for 2026, identifies four major threats faced by operators in 2025. These include APT-driven attacks, where threat actors stealthily infiltrate networks over long periods to gain control; exploitation of supply chain vulnerabilities within complex vendor ecosystems to breach core networks; DDoS attacks that disrupt network capacity and service continuity; and SIM-based fraud that heightens the risk of financial losses.
Data from the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) highlights the scale of cyber risks in the telecom sector. Between November 2024 and October 2025, 12.79 percent of users encountered web-based cyber threats, while 20.76 percent were affected by device-based threats. During the same period, 9.86 percent of telecom companies worldwide were targeted by ransomware attacks. In 2025 alone, the impact of these threats extended to 32.18 percent of Windows users and 27.81 percent of macOS users in the telecom sector, underscoring the growing financial and operational risks across platforms.
The report further states that as the telecom industry rapidly transitions toward larger-scale deployments, operational risks are expected to intensify in 2026. Kaspersky has urged operators to remain particularly cautious in three key areas: AI-driven network management, where misconfigurations in automated systems could escalate into major disruptions; post-quantum cryptography, where rushed implementation may lead to compatibility and performance challenges; and non-terrestrial networks (NTN), linking 5G with satellite connectivity, which—while expanding coverage—also introduce new dependencies and vulnerabilities.
Leonid Bezvershenko, Senior Security Researcher at Kaspersky’s GReAT (Global Research and Analysis Team), said that the dominant threats of 2025—APT campaigns, supply chain attacks, and DDoS assaults—are unlikely to disappear. “Instead, these threats are now converging with new technological risks such as AI automation, quantum-ready cryptography, and satellite integration. We believe it is critical for operators to maintain strong defenses against familiar threats while prioritizing security from the very first day of deploying new technologies,” he said.
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