Breaking news

Cyber Resilience In Cyprus Tested By Rising Cyberattacks

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

February 26, 2026

Escalating Cyber Threat Landscape

Recent nationwide surveys conducted by the Communications Commissioner and the Digital Security Authority reveal that cyberattacks in Cyprus are not only frequent but are intensifying. Over the past 12 months, one in three individuals and more than half of businesses reported experiencing a cyber incident, highlighting growing pressure on digital security systems.

Business Under Siege

A survey of 459 companies across multiple sectors, conducted between September and November 2025, found that 53% experienced a cyberattack or data breach within the past year. The figure marks an increase from 47% in 2024 and 49% in 2023.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

On average, businesses reported one cyberattack every eight days, compared with one every 10 days a year earlier. Among affected companies, 51% reported financial losses averaging €12,000, slightly lower than previous results.

Phishing remains the most common attack method, accounting for 44% of incidents. Although the share has declined slightly, 75% of companies said phishing was the most recent form of attack they encountered.

The survey also found gaps in preparedness. Nearly one in four organizations had not updated cybersecurity policies in more than a year, while only 22% participated in cybersecurity training initiatives in 2025. Companies that invested in training reported stronger defensive outcomes.

Individual Vulnerability

A separate survey of 1,043 individuals conducted between August and September 2025 showed that people faced an average of 25.9 cyberattack attempts during the year, slightly below previous levels.

Around one-third of respondents said they had been affected by a cyber incident, with 17% reporting financial losses averaging €141. The 35–44 age group recorded the highest financial impact, marking a shift from earlier trends that showed higher exposure among younger users.

Phishing remained the leading attack method for individuals, representing 22% of incidents.

Despite widespread exposure to cyber risks, awareness levels remain limited. Among respondents who had not experienced an attack, 89% said they were uncertain about their future online safety. In addition, 74% were unaware of available cybersecurity training programs.

Those who attended seminars reported practical changes, including stronger password practices, regular updates, and increased caution when interacting with unfamiliar online environments.

Strengthening Cybersecurity Measures

In response, the Digital Security Authority plans to expand educational outreach through seminars and awareness campaigns aimed at both businesses and individuals.

The initiative is designed to strengthen cybersecurity resilience across Cyprus as organizations and consumers face a growing volume of digital threats.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

Google Cloud Outage Disrupts Banking And Digital Services Across The UK

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 20, 2026

A power outage at a Google Cloud data centre near London disrupted services across the UK on Tuesday, affecting banks, businesses and other digital platforms. Google said the incident was caused by a power event at its cloud operations, with full recovery expected by around 1300 GMT.

The disruption began at 0608 GMT and affected Google Cloud services in the europe-west2 region, which is hosted in London. In an initial update, the company reported elevated error rates and intermittent network failures across multiple services as engineers worked to restore operations.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Banking Services Hit By The Disruption

Revolut was among the most visibly affected companies, with customers reporting problems with ATM withdrawals, bank transfers and card top-ups. A source close to the matter linked the issues to the Google Cloud outage.

Traditional banks also reported disruptions. Lloyds said some customers were experiencing problems with its app and online banking, while HSBC confirmed difficulties accessing its services. HSBC added that it was monitoring the situation and noted that other organisations were affected as well.

Disruption Spreads Beyond Finance

Downdetector, which tracks online service disruptions, recorded hundreds of reports involving other businesses, including property website Rightmove and the Royal Mail postal service. The reports suggested that the outage was affecting multiple parts of the UK’s digital economy.

The incident highlights the risks facing businesses that depend on shared cloud infrastructure. Even a temporary failure at a single provider can disrupt services across several sectors, from banking and payments to logistics and consumer platforms.

Companies Reassure Customers

Revolut said it had been working to resolve the issue since it was identified and apologised to affected customers. The company also confirmed that customers’ money and data remained safe.

As cloud platforms underpin an increasing share of digital commerce, the outage illustrates how disruptions to critical infrastructure can spread far beyond the provider itself, affecting businesses and customers across the economy.