Retail sector faces high cyberattack rates, study finds

A global study conducted by Kaspersky’s Internal Research Centre reveals that 87% of retail companies have experienced cyber incidents over the past 12 months. The survey, which included IT security specialists across 18 countries, highlights the industry's vulnerability due to the massive volumes of personal and payment data processed through e-commerce and loyalty programs.

Phishing is the most prevalent threat, reported by 21% of retailers. Other significant social engineering tactics include deepfakes (13%), invoice or payment fraud (13%), business email compromise (9%), and vishing (8%). Additionally, cyber espionage (19%) and web application exploits (18%) were among the most frequent incidents. The primary objectives of these attacks are the theft of client personal data (34%) and employee personal data (28%).

As the retail sector moves toward an AI-driven landscape, attackers are increasingly utilizing sophisticated methods such as AI-generated deepfake scams to impersonate executives or partners. Vulnerabilities often stem from outdated e-commerce platforms and the high volume of sensitive information held by retail chains, making them prime targets for ransomware and malware.