Under the Hackers' Microscope: The Wave of Cyberattacks in 2026

The volume and sophistication of cyberattacks in 2026 continue to grow, and Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, and Peru are feeling the impact in different ways, but with one common thread: those who do not know which assets are exposed cannot defend them.

In this article, we review five key facts about cyberattacks in 2026 across five countries and discuss the specific measures that are proving effective in containing them.

Spain: Thousands of Incidents Each Week

In Spain, official cybersecurity agencies estimate that there are nearly 2,000 attacks per week against organizations in the country, with a notable year-over-year increase in reported incidents (source).

The pattern repeats itself: the more digitization, the larger the attack surface. According to the 2026 Cyberattack Landscape, organizations that have not yet conducted a thorough asset inventory are consistently the slowest to detect and contain an incident.

Colombia: Among the Most Targeted Countries in the Region

Colombia consistently ranks among the most targeted countries in Latin America on the 2026 cyberattack map, with millions of attack attempts per day according to various industry reports (source).

SMEs are the prime target: they make up the vast majority of Colombia’s business sector and, at the same time, account for the majority of cyberattack victims, mainly because they invest less in security and run outdated systems (source). Phishing remains the most effective point of entry, not because of its technical sophistication but because it exploits the human factor.

One trend that particularly concerns analysts is the rise of ransomware-as-a-service, which has drastically lowered the barrier to entry for attackers with limited technical expertise, combined with the growing use of artificial intelligence to automate and customize attacks.

Mexico: From Reaction to Ongoing Management of Exposure

In Mexico, the rapid digitization of large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises has also expanded the scope of cyberattacks in 2026. The approach that is gaining traction in the Mexican market is Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM): rather than reacting on a case-by-case basis, organizations seek to continuously monitor which assets are exposed and prioritize their protection based on actual risk (source).

Cloud security and identity management, along with asset visibility, are among the top priorities for containing cyberattacks in the country in 2026.

Chile: Critical Infrastructure Under Scrutiny

In Chile, the focus of cyberattacks in 2026 is on critical information infrastructure: banking, energy, and telecommunications are the sectors that Law 21.663 itself identifies as being most at risk and which it requires to promptly report any incident to the National CSIRT (source).

What sets Chile apart is that, unlike other countries in the region, it already has an authority—the National Cybersecurity Agency (ANCI)—with the power to oversee and impose sanctions. This turns every incident that is not reported in a timely manner into a twofold problem: the attack itself, and the regulatory penalty for failing to report it within the timeframes required by law (source).

Peru: Hundreds of Millions of Attempted Attacks

Peru has some of the highest figures in the region for cyberattacks in 2026: in the first few months of the year alone, more than 748 million attempted attacks were recorded, according to FortiGuard Labs (source). Phishing, ransomware, and automated attacks using artificial intelligence top the list of threats, and sectors such as finance, energy, and mining account for a large portion of the incidents (source).

The most concerning fact is not the number of attacks, but rather misplaced confidence: most large and medium-sized companies believe they are prepared for a data breach, but have not invested in preventing one, which leaves the country particularly vulnerable even though the risk is already well known.

How to Defend Against Cyberattacks in 2026: Inventory as the First Line of Defense

In all five countries, the pattern is the same: cyberattacks in 2026 are increasing in volume and becoming more automated, but the most effective defense remains the most basic one: knowing, at all times, what technological assets the company has, where they are, and what condition they are in.

Without that inventory, any detection or response strategy starts at a structural disadvantage. You can start with our guide on how to conduct a software audit or download our NIS2/ENS compliance checklist, which uses asset management as the foundation of your defense.

Do you know for sure what assets your company currently has exposed? Request an asset visibility assessment.