The cybersecurity sphere is entering a new phase of development. Today, the main danger for companies is not necessarily a suspicious email or an overtly malicious file. Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting digital platforms, workflows, and the trust employees already place in them.
According to the Gen Digital Threat Report for the first half of 2026, there is a clear shift in the threat environment. Attackers are approaching trusted systems using services such as booking platforms, messengers, online advertising, payment systems, software updates, identity data, and even artificial intelligence agents. As a result, a seemingly legitimate interaction can become the starting point for a cyberattack.
This shift has significant implications for businesses in Africa. While traditional antivirus programs remain necessary, modern protection must go beyond simple malware detection. Organizations require multi-layered security that protects devices, applications, users, data, and digital identities.
Gen Digital's cybersecurity solution portfolio, which includes Avast, AVG, and Norton, offers a wide range of tools for businesses, IT resellers, and Managed Service Providers (MSPs).
A recent Gen Digital study showed that 114.2 million fraudulent attacks were blocked in online stores in the first half of 2026, and technical support attacks reached 20.3 million. Meanwhile, scams involving impersonation of public figures increased by 387%, and cases of family member impersonation increased by over 454%.
Furthermore, the report identified over 304 million fraudulent ad impressions in the EU and UK in less than a month, and approximately 1.9 billion tracking attempts were blocked in the first half of the year. These figures demonstrate a fundamental change in attack delivery methods: cybercriminals aim not just to hack security systems, but to manipulate the context around the user.
A fake online store can look professional, a support request can appear to come from a familiar brand, and a compromised account can use a legitimate messaging platform. An AI-generated message or video can increase the credibility of the fraud. For businesses, the conclusion is clear: defense must operate on multiple levels of the digital environment.
Avast Business: This platform provides centralized security management for modern IT environments. Through the Avast Business Hub, administrators can manage protection across multiple devices from a cloud platform. Features include endpoint protection, ransomware and phishing protection, web control, USB protection, remote access, and support, as well as patch management. Patch management is critical because attackers continue to exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software.
AVG Business: This option is suitable for growing organizations that need affordable and effective endpoint protection. For small businesses, the challenge is balancing cybersecurity requirements with limited budgets. AVG Business solutions help partners meet these needs by offering endpoint protection and cloud security management for small and medium-sized businesses.
Norton Small Business: The report also highlights the increasing importance of protecting personal information and identity data. Gen Digital recorded a 628.1% increase in breach alerts with a detected source of leakage, while financial and identity activity continues to put consumers and companies at risk. Norton Small Business addresses this issue by combining device protection with cloud backup, password management, software updates, and dark web monitoring.
For IT resellers and MSPs, the value of the Avast, AVG, and Norton portfolio lies in its ability to support diverse client profiles and security requirements. A small business may require simple endpoint and identity protection, whereas a growing organization might need centralized management and support. This opens opportunities for partners to move beyond one-off license sales and create ongoing services.
Access to global cybersecurity technologies is only part of the equation. For African resellers and integrators, local expertise, commercial support, and prompt technical assistance can be equally important. Avert IT Distribution acts as a specialized distributor of security and infrastructure solutions, including the Gen Digital portfolio. The company supports partners across Africa through strong vendor relationships, competitive pricing, and a broad regional partner ecosystem.
In conclusion, the Gen Digital Threat Report for the first half of 2026 shows that cybercrime is increasingly leveraging trust, attacking familiar workflows and legitimate platforms. Organizations need a multi-layered approach that protects the endpoint while addressing vulnerabilities, identity issues, applications, privacy, and user behavior. The Avast Business, AVG Business, and Norton Small Business portfolio enables partners to meet diverse customer needs in the African market, supported by the regional expertise and support of Avert IT Distribution.
As the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) develop, experts warn that South African companies cannot rely solely on regulatory norms; they must invest in continuous protection against cyberattacks.
Some business leaders may have felt relief following the temporary suspension of access to some of the world's most advanced AI models, but cybersecurity specialists emphasize that restricting access to powerful AI is not a substitute for strengthening defense systems.
Richard Ford, CTO of Integrity360, noted that South African organizations should focus less on the presence of advanced AI models and more on the capabilities they have already demonstrated.
These remarks came after the US government's decision in June to suspend global access to Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models due to national security concerns. Access to Fable 5 was restored on July 1st after export restrictions were lifted and new precautions were implemented.
Ford warned that the brief suspension should not create a false sense of security. He stated: 'The instinctive reaction is to view the ban as a deterrent, but this is an incorrect conclusion for business leaders.' He added that while a deployed model can be turned off, the demonstrated technological capability cannot be undone.
The warning followed the documentation by Anthropic's own 'red team' that the Mythos Preview model is capable of independently finding and exploiting previously unknown software vulnerabilities.
One of the most significant findings was the discovery of a 27-year-old vulnerability in OpenBSD, an operating system considered one of the most secure in the world. The AI model was able to identify this flaw and develop a working exploit without human intervention, other than the initial prompt.
A more alarming aspect was the cost. According to Integrity360, one vulnerability search run cost less than $50, and conducting 1000 automated scans of the codebase cost less than $20,000. Ford believes this significantly lowers the entry barrier for cybercriminals.
For South African organizations, the main difficulty lies in the time required to remediate vulnerabilities after they are discovered. Globally, companies typically require 30 to 90 days to test and implement software patches. In South Africa, this period is often even longer due to a shortage of qualified cybersecurity personnel.
According to the World Economic Forum's 'Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026,' 70% of CEOs in Sub-Saharan African countries reported that their organizations lacked the necessary cybersecurity skills to meet current security goals, representing the largest skills gap in any region.
Ford warned that attackers operating at machine speed are fundamentally changing the risk profile. He noted that ransomware operators, who have already disrupted state enterprises and financial institutions in South Africa, will not hesitate to use AI to automate the search for weaknesses across thousands of local networks simultaneously.
He added that artificial intelligence has effectively removed one of the biggest barriers that previously restricted cybercriminals. 'AI removes the technical resource barrier that once limited these groups, making the traditional vulnerability management model obsolete.'
Ford also pointed out that the threat extends beyond individual companies, as businesses increasingly rely on suppliers, municipalities, and government entities, which often have fewer cybersecurity resources and longer patching cycles.
He is convinced that organizations should abandon periodic security checks in favor of constant monitoring of their digital environments. Integrity360 recommends using Continuous Threat Exposure Management, which continuously assesses vulnerabilities and prioritizes the most critical risks, as well as Managed Detection and Response services and real-time threat intelligence.
Ford stated that cyber resilience should no longer be viewed solely as an IT responsibility. 'For South African executives, continuous exposure management is becoming a fiduciary duty at many levels.'
While regulation remains important, Ford cautioned that organizations cannot count on government intervention or restrictions on advanced AI to protect against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. Instead, businesses need to focus on reducing the time between vulnerability detection and threat response. He concluded: 'Machine-speed exploitation is already happening in real-world scenarios, and the long-term solution is to build detection and response commensurate with the adversary's pace, and then work to reduce the window of exposure before a breach occurs.'
