Cyber Threat Intelligence Weekly: Key Incidents & Security Updates (8 –13 Feb 2026)

Summary

Over the last two weeks we have seen that cyber threats are increasingly moving away from opportunistic attacks and becoming more advanced and structured. As more organisations adopt digital technology, organisations, businesses and individuals along with every cyber security institute need to continuously update their security measures with this in mind.

Cyber threats are not just something for big companies anymore. Many of the examples we have seen over recent weeks highlight that small businesses, government authorities, employees working from home and individual users are all at risk.

Cybercriminals are placing increasing emphasis on identification systems, cloud services, and exploiting human weaknesses, rather than just technical vulnerabilities, to conduct cybercrimes.

The increase in cybercrime combined with the increase in digital adoption means that the need for awareness, training and taking preventative measures is paramount in order to survive in the modern technology environment, making the role of a cybersecurity institute more important than ever.

Overview of the Week’s Cyber Threat Landscape

Cyber threat activity across various industry sectors (financial, healthcare, educational, governmental, e-commerce) showed an increase in the number of observed incidents during the second week of February.  The spike in the number of organizations reporting multiple incidents of suspicious login attempts, abnormal network activity and the exploitation of known vulnerabilities in software and/or enterprise platforms indicates that cybercriminals are being increasingly patient and persistent in their activities. 

Instead of striking quickly at once using large-scale attacks, these cybercriminals are now allowing themselves time to quietly (and secretly) gain access to targeted systems in order to surveil the targeted systems before enacting meaningful actions such as ransomware attacks or theft of sensitive information based on the construction of target diagrams.

Businesses who operate in hybrid environments are becoming more often exposed to cyber threats resulting from the use of remote access tools (i.e. personal computing devices) and decentralized networks.  Additionally, cloud infrastructure and identity management systems have also emerged as primary targets of the cyber threat landscape due to the substantial amount of data and control over business operations that can be assumed once they have been compromised.

Rising Ransomware and Malware Activities

In the last year, ransomware has remained a major threat to organizations. Attackers have employed various methods to find their way into an organization’s network such as phishing email, stolen credentials, and vulnerable remote access services. Once an attacker was able to gain access through these means, they would attempt to navigate throughout the internal networks of the organization in order to locate critical assets and set themselves up to encrypt data or cause disruption of service.

Malware campaigns also became increasingly persistent and sophisticated. Many of the modern variants have been engineered to bypass traditional detection tools, allowing them to remain undetected by the organization for extended periods of time. Many of the attacks included stealth techniques such as in-memory execution and fileless (or code-less) malware, which reduce the possibility of leaving a trace.

Endpoint devices, especially personal laptops and other unmanaged systems used for remote work, represented some of the most vulnerable targets for attackers. Many of these endpoint devices had few to no security controls, making it easier for an attacker to gain access to a corporate network.

Read More: Will Ethical Hackers Be Replaced by AI Tools by 2026?

Phishing Remains the Most Effective Entry Point

Phishing continued to dominate as the most common attack vector. Cybercriminals crafted convincing emails, fake login pages, and impersonation messages targeting employees and individuals. Many messages were designed to appear urgent, encouraging users to act quickly without verifying authenticity.

Job offer scams, invoice fraud, fake banking alerts, and service notifications were commonly observed. These attacks rely heavily on human psychology rather than advanced technical methods. A single click can expose login credentials, install malware, or grant unauthorized system access.

Organizations that regularly conduct awareness programs and phishing simulations tend to respond more effectively to such threats. However, the growing realism of phishing messages is making detection increasingly difficult.

Identity and Access Attacks Increasing Rapidly

Modern cybercriminals choose identity as one of their biggest targets. Rather than access systems through hacking, they’ve instead taken to logging in with stolen credentials. Weak passwords, reused logins, and the lack of multi-factor authentication leave rooms for them to operate.

When cybercriminals get ahold of legitimate credentials, they can function as trusted users inside the system, allowing them to circumvent established security controls and move through systems without creating any alarms.

The aftermath of an identity-based intrusion may be data exposure, a financial transaction conducted without authorization, and a manipulation of the company’s business processes. Due to the ever-increasing reliance on digital authentication, protecting your identity has become an integral part of every organization’s cybersecurity strategy.

Cloud Security Concerns Continue to Grow

Cloud use is rapidly growing. Unfortunately, security measures are likely not growing at the same speed. Misconfigurations, exposed storage endpoints, and inadequate monitoring provide opportunities for attackers to gain unauthorized access by scanning cloud infrastructures for weak access configurations and unsecured APIs. Once an attacker has gained access to a cloud infrastructure, they can access sensitive data, disrupt services, and establish long-term persistence in CIS/IS.

Cloud platforms also have a shared responsibility model where SAP and cloud providers share security responsibilities. Organizations struggle to define and manage these shared responsibilities which increases their risk of exposure.

Supply Chain and Third-Party Risks

This past week, there has been a lot of focus on the vulnerability of software supply chains and the dependence that businesses have on outside parties. A large number of companies use third-party software, tools, integrations, and/or services, to conduct their day-to-day business. Attackers often target these third-party connections, and use them as a gateway to access an entire enterprise’s environment.

Even if one trusted vendor’s system experiences a small, minor compromise, thousands of companies that rely on that vendor to provide the service will be affected in a short period of time. Therefore, it is imperative to perform vendor risk assessment, vendor security assessments, and vendor monitoring on a continuous basis.

Due to the interconnectedness of today’s business ecosystems, it is essential for organizations to have cyber or information security programs that extend not only to their internal infrastructure, but also to their partners and suppliers.

Human Error Remains a Major Factor

Despite technological advancements, human behavior continues to play a major role in cyber incidents. Many security events originate from simple mistakes such as:

• Clicking unknown links
• Using weak passwords
• Ignoring update notifications
• Sharing sensitive information unknowingly

Cybercriminals utilize urgency, curiosity, as well as fear, to trick users into making decisions which compromise the security of their systems. Awareness and behavior-based training will continue to be necessary for mitigating these types of risks.

Strong security cultures help employees identify potentially suspicious behaviour, and report it as soon as possible. Organizations that promote vigilance can typically react more quickly and lessens damage that occurs.

Impact on Businesses and Individuals

This week’s cyber incidents had a dramatic impact on corporate operations, finances and overall reputation. Cyber-attacks caused interrupted service, system downtime and IT personnel had increased pressure to investigate and recover from possible breach incidents.

Financial losses, legal ramifications and loss of customer trust were additional concerns. Attackers frequently attempt to compromise systems, but even when they are unsuccessful, costs still exist due to the response and mitigation processes associated with these incidents.

Cybersecurity risks posed by attackers extend to individuals and include, but are not limited to, identity theft, financial fraud, and exploitation of compromised credentials. As the number of internet-based services increases, knowledge of personal cybersecurity will become just as valuable as providing protection for companies that operate in cyberspace.

Role of Automation and Advanced Technologies in Cybercrime

Increasingly attackers are using automated technologies to expand their operations. Automated scanning enables attackers to find vulnerable systems quickly. Intelligent scripts enable attackers to deploy malware quickly and exploit system weaknesses efficiently.

Advanced tools also enable attackers to create realistic phishing emails, analyze targeted systems, and evade traditional security measures. This has accelerated the time in which attackers are able to attack.

Cybersecurity is rapidly evolving from a reactive measure to a constant competition between offensive and defensive innovation technologies. Therefore, organizations need to invest in advanced detection, threat intelligence and response solutions in order to remain competitive.

Remote Work and Endpoint Security Challenges

New vulnerabilities emerge in remote and hybrid work environments. When employees access company systems remotely via personal devices and home networks, they increase their exposure to cyber threats.

Cybercriminals can exploit unsecured Wi-Fi connections, as well as the lack of endpoint protection and inconsistent security policies for worker locations, providing access points into the enterprise. Organizations should make sure they have established secure access controls, monitoring systems, and employee awareness programs.

As employee devices are gateways into enterprise environments, endpoint security has become an area of great priority for organisations.

Growing Demand for Cybersecurity Professionals

This week has highlighted that demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals is soaring. Organizations must have professionals experienced with identifying threats, responding promptly to them and improving their body’s protection against them.

Professionals on security teams will have a range of responsibilities, such as monitoring assets, responding to incidents, managing risks and ensuring compliance. Cybersecurity is now not just the responsibility of IT Departments; but are the responsibilities of all levels of the organization’s; including executives, operations and policymakers.

As threats develop, so will the demand for those with experience and practical skills related to cybersecurity in the real world.

Lessons Learned from This Week

This week’s cyber developments reinforce several important lessons:

• Security awareness is the first line of defense.
• Strong authentication significantly reduces risk.
• Timely software updates prevent exploitation.
• Cloud and identity protection must be prioritized.
• Continuous monitoring helps detect threats early.
• Employee training directly impacts organizational resilience.

These insights apply equally to enterprises, startups, and individuals navigating the digital world.

Building a Security-First Culture

When companies focus on a cybersecurity strategy, they are more likely to see better protection results as a result of prioritizing these three foundational elements of a healthy security culture: Commitment by Leaders, Involvement by Employees, and Continued Education on Security Issues.

Security Awareness should be considered part of daily operations (including onboarding) and added to the decision-making process; it shouldn’t just be an annual (or sometimes, never) award-winning training and instead should be thought of as a constant element of how employees do their jobs with the expectation that they will understand the risks by following the rules to greatly reduce the likelihood of being victimized.

An organisation with a strong prevention culture will promote an environment where employees will report problems sooner, respond to incidents quicker, and limit damage caused by incidents.

Future Outlook

Cyber-attacks are anticipated to increase significantly in sophistication over the next few months as criminals look for ways to exploit identity-based systems, cloud-based environments, connected devices, and enterprise architecture.

Automation, targeted attacks, and long-term infiltrations will all play a role in the future of cyber-crime operations. As such, organizations should be moving toward proactive security planning versus reacting to threats.

Continual improvement, investment in modern security tools and development of skilled professionals will have a direct impact on how well organizations will respond to the threats that are expected to occur in the near future.

Conclusion

The evolution of cyber security threats from February 8 through February 13, 2026 demonstrates the continuing evolution and persistence of these threats to organizations of all sizes. The growing emphasis placed on identity management, cloud services, and human vulnerabilities indicates that a strong cyber security posture is no longer based solely on a foundation of technological controls but also requires a significant commitment to creating an environment of awareness, vigilance, and proactive strategies, highlighting the growing importance of choosing the best cyber security course to build the right skills and preparedness for modern threats.

As the aspiring professional and or student seeks to enter the field of cyber security, obtaining practical experience and educational exposure to “real-world” examples of the various types of cyber security threats is essential. Participating in a formal program provides the opportunity for individuals to acquire the technical skills needed to properly analyze and interpret data related to potential cyber attacks; develop the analytical capabilities necessary for identifying and responding to incidents; and obtain the practical hands-on experiences that “real-world” applications require in order to effectively protect today’s digital business environments.

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