Microsoft has revealed that the world’s cybersecurity landscape is at a critical tipping point, fueled by rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and escalating geopolitical conflicts. Speaking at a virtual media briefing, Microsoft’s Chief Security Advisor for Africa, Kerissa Varma, shared insights from the company’s October 2025 Digital Defence Report (MDDR), which analyzed over 100 trillion security signals and 5 billion emails daily.
The report highlights a major shift from reactive cyber defense to proactive, anticipatory resilience. Varma pointed out three key trends: cyber attackers are mainly after data and money, with AI enabling them to scale attacks smarter and faster. Alarmingly, AI-automated phishing is 4.5 times more likely to trick victims and 50 times more profitable, while attackers use tactics like email bombing to hide their moves.
However, the report warns companies to carefully vet remote IT workers to avoid hiring insider threats, suggesting thorough pre-hire screening and ongoing monitoring.
Geopolitical risks are also rising, with nation-state cyberattacks increasing, especially targeting critical infrastructure. Africa saw 150 such attacks recently, with Egypt and South Africa as top targets and Nigeria hit 5% of the time. Varma stressed cybersecurity is no longer just technical but a strategic boardroom priority.
Backed by a massive global security workforce and partners, Microsoft’s tools like Defender and Sentinel aim to protect identities, data, and cloud systems in today’s complex threat landscape.
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