Cyberattacks in Switzerland increase by six percent

Check Point Software Technologies has published the 14th edition of its Cyber Security Report. In it, the company's security researchers summarize global developments in cyber attacks in 2025 compared to the previous year. The figures for Switzerland show an increase of six percent, with an average of 1138 attacks targeting organizations and companies per week.

Telecommunications hit hardest

The telecommunications sector is particularly targeted by cyber criminals with 1662 attacks per week. The retail sector is in second place with 1440 attacks per week, followed by public administration with an average of 1336 attacks per week.

«Compared to other countries, with a 14% increase in Germany and a 12% increase in Austria, the figures for Switzerland are almost moderate, but there can be no question of the all-clear,» explains Marco Pierro, Country Manager Switzerland at Check Point Software Technologies. «The threat situation is intensifying with the use of AI by cyber criminals. Swiss organizations and companies are high-value targets for cyber criminals, and the results from the use of integrated campaigns stand out in particular.»

AI-driven cyberattacks on the rise

The report highlights the shift towards integrated attack campaigns across multiple channels. This approach combines deception with machine automation. Globally, companies were exposed to an average of 1968 cyberattacks per week last year - an increase of 18% compared to 2024 and 70% since 2023.

Attackers are using the power of automation and artificial intelligence to move faster in systems, scale more easily and operate across multiple attack surfaces simultaneously. «AI is changing the mechanics of cyberattacks, not just their scope,» explains Lotem Finkelstein, VP of Research at Check Point Software. «We are seeing attackers move from purely manual operations to an ever-increasing level of automation. We are also seeing the first signs of autonomous techniques.»

New attack tactics

The report identifies several key developments: AI is increasingly being integrated into attackers' workflows, accelerating reconnaissance, social engineering and operational decision-making. Over a three-month period, 89 percent of organizations were exposed to high-risk AI requests, with approximately one in 41 requests classified as high-risk.

The ransomware ecosystem has decentralized into smaller, specialized groups, leading to a 53% increase in victims extorted compared to the previous year. The number of new ransomware-as-a-service groups increased by 50 percent. Social engineering is increasingly expanding beyond email. ClickFix techniques have increased by 500 percent in the past year and use fraudulent technical prompts to manipulate users.

Unmonitored edge devices, VPN appliances and IoT systems are increasingly being used as operational relay points to interfere with legitimate network traffic. An analysis conducted by Lakera identified security vulnerabilities in 40 percent of 10,000 MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers examined.

Recommendations for companies

Check Point recommends that companies revise their security foundations for the age of AI. Controls for networks, endpoints, cloud, email and SASE should be reassessed to stop autonomous, coordinated attacks early. It is also important to control and make transparent authorized and unauthorized AI usage.

Security strategies must protect the workspace where human trust and AI-driven automation intersect. Actively inventorying and securing edge devices, VPN appliances and IoT systems will help stop hidden threats. With attacks happening at machine speed, preventative security is essential to stop threats before lateral movement, data loss or extortion occurs.

Source: Check Point