Surging Cyberattacks in Latin America

Surging Cyberattacks Boost Latin America to Riskiest Region

The region of Latin America has experienced a significant increase in cyberattacks, with a 26% year-over-year surge, and an average of 3,065 attacks per week, according to the latest data from Check Point Research. This surge has been attributed to tactics such as data-leak extortion, credential-stealing campaigns, edge-device exploitation, and attackers leveraging AI, with organizations in the region seeing about 40% more attacks than the global average.

Why This Matters

The technical reality of cybersecurity in Latin America is far from ideal, with the region’s rapid digitalization and valuable yet vulnerable industries making it an attractive target for cybercriminals and nation-state actors. The failure to implement adequate cybersecurity measures has resulted in significant costs, with 76% of organizations suffering information disclosure attacks and a majority encountering attempts at remote code execution and authentication bypass, highlighting the need for improved ransomware resilience and generative AI governance controls.

Key Insights

• 26% year-over-year surge in cyberattacks in Latin America, with an average of 3,065 attacks per week, according to Check Point Research (2026)
• Data-leak extortion and credential-stealing campaigns are among the tactics used by attackers, with a 38% rise in activity among brokers in the region, according to CrowdStrike’s Adam Meyers
• China-linked cyber operations have increased activities in the region, conducting cyber-espionage campaigns against government, telecom, and military organizations, according to CrowdStrike’s “2025 Latin America Threat Landscape Report”

Working Example

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Practical Applications

• Use Case: Companies in Latin America, such as those in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina, are benefitting from AI, but also running cyber-risks, and need to improve ransomware resilience and enforce generative AI governance controls.
• Pitfall: Easy access to stolen credentials has fueled many attacks, and companies in the region need to prioritize credential-driven access security to prevent attacks.

References:

• https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/surging-cyberattacks-latin-america-riskiest-region
• https://www.checkpoint.com/
• https://www.crowdstrike.com/