Microsoft and ENISA reports highlight rising global cyber threats

Annual reports from Microsoft and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) highlight a significant rise in cyberattacks driven by human error and identity exploitation. Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report 2026 indicates that phishing has more than tripled as an entry point, accounting for 23% of observed intrusions, while the exploitation of internet-exposed applications rose to 24%.

The United States remains the most targeted nation, accounting for 25.5% of the total cyber threat impact observed by Microsoft, followed by Israel at 7.6% and Ukraine at 4.8%. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, the U.S. recorded over 60 million compromised accounts.

Artificial intelligence is accelerating these threats by compressing attack phases from days to seconds. Attackers are increasingly leveraging AI to enhance social engineering and phishing techniques, with identity-related risks averaging 31 million detections globally every day.