EMEA Threat Landscape Report’s CISO Brief 2026

Key Cybersecurity Insights for Security Leaders

• Dark Web Activity Is Dominated by Data Monetization: Selling activity accounts for 67.58% of dark web discussions, confirming that underground marketplaces remain the primary driver of cybercrime operations.
• Data Exposure Remains the Primary Threat: 70.42% of dark web activity relates to stolen databases or leaked information, showing that sensitive data remains the most valuable asset in underground markets.
• Unauthorized Access Drives Follow-On Attacks: 23.11% of posts involve access sales, highlighting the demand for compromised VPN, RDP, and administrative credentials.
• Ransomware Activity Shows Fragmentation: While Qilin (16.9%) leads ransomware activity, groups such as SafePay and Akira (6.8%) demonstrate a distributed ecosystem where many actors contribute to overall attack volume.
• Phishing Infrastructure Mimics Trusted Platforms: Attackers frequently imitate high-traffic brands, media platforms, and social services to lure victims into credential harvesting pages.
• Encrypted Phishing Campaigns Are Increasing: Nearly two-thirds of phishing pages rely on HTTPS, allowing malicious sites to appear legitimate and bypass basic security warnings.

Why This Report Matters for CISOs

Security teams operating in the EMEA region must contend with a threat landscape driven by data theft, credential abuse, and ransomware-enabled extortion. The widespread commercialization of stolen information and system access means that even smaller attackers can launch impactful campaigns. CISOs must adopt intelligence-driven security strategies that prioritize dark web visibility, proactive detection of credential exposure, and resilience against ransomware and phishing-based intrusion attempts.

Continuous monitoring of underground marketplaces, improved identity protection, and stronger user awareness programs are essential for reducing exposure. By aligning security operations with real-time threat intelligence, CISOs can better anticipate attacker behavior and protect critical infrastructure, digital assets, and organizational reputation across the EMEA region.