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Kaspersky and VDC Research reveal over $18B in potential losses from ransomware attacks on the global manufacturing industry in 2025

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2 months ago

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Kaspersky

When ransomware hits, production lines halt, triggering immediate revenue losses from an idle workforce and longer-term shortfalls from reduced output

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 25, 2025/APO Group/ —

Kaspersky (www.Kaspersky.co.za) in collaboration with VDC Research announced that in the first three quarters of 2025 ransomware attacks on manufacturing organisations could have generated over $18 billion in losses. This figure reflects just the direct cost of an idle workforce during downtime, with overall operational and financial impacts far exceeding this amount. Estimations were made across APAC, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, CIS and LATAM based on the share of manufacturing organisations where ransomware attempts were detected and prevented, the total number of manufacturing organisations in each region, average downtime hours after real attacks, average number of employees per organisation and average hourly pay.

According to Kaspersky Security Network from January to September 2025, the Middle East (7%) and Latin America (6.5%) led the regional rankings in terms of ransomware detections in manufacturing organisations. APAC (6.3%), Africa (5.8%), CIS (5.2%) and Europe (3.8%) followed. All of these attacks were blocked by Kaspersky solutions. The estimation of potential losses (below) shows the financial impact if these attacks succeeded.

When ransomware hits, production lines halt, triggering immediate revenue losses from an idle workforce and longer-term shortfalls from reduced output. The average attack lasts 13 days (based on the Kaspersky Incident Response Report) (https://apo-opa.co/4pA9PUK). As a result, idle labour costs from ransomware in the first three quarters of 2025 could have reached:

  • $11.5 billion in APAC
  • $4.4 billion in Europe
  • $711 million in LATAM
  • $685 million in the Middle East
  • $507 million in CIS
  • $446 million in Africa

Partnering with proven cybersecurity vendors is paramount for effective IT, OT and IIoT protection

Actual business losses could have been significantly higher when factoring in supply-chain disruptions, reputational damage, and recovery expenses.

“Our research provides an estimation of the financial impact that ransomware may have had on manufacturing worldwide. The growing complexity of manufacturing environments, along with widening expertise gaps and ongoing labour challenges, makes it difficult for most organisations to manage cybersecurity effectively, but failure to do so may result in financial losses – followed by reputational blows as well. Partnering with proven cybersecurity vendors is paramount for effective IT, OT and IIoT protection,” comments Jared Weiner, Research Director, Industrial Automation & Sensors at VDC Research.

“No region is exempt from ransomware – whether it’s the Middle East, LATAM, APAC, CIS, Africa or Europe, every manufacturing hub is constantly being targeted. Mid-tier manufacturers that could have been overlooked by threat actors in the past are also among the targets because their security budgets are smaller and their supply chain disruption effects can be larger than most realise. The manufacturing sector and all other organisations need reliable, proven defence systems and continuous user education,” comments Dmitry Galov, Head of Research Center for Russia and CIS at Kaspersky’s GReAT.

More information about ransomware in different regions is available in Kaspersky’s 2025 State of Ransomware Report (https://apo-opa.co/43LYE2H).

Kaspersky encourages organisations to follow these best practices to safeguard from ransomware:

  • Enable ransomware protection for all endpoints. There is a free Kaspersky Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business (https://apo-opa.co/48fN4xZ) that shields computers and servers from ransomware and other types of malware, prevents exploits and is compatible with already installed security solutions.
  • For comprehensive protection of industrial and critical sectors, Kaspersky offers a distinctive ecosystem that seamlessly integrates dedicated OT-grade technologies, expert knowledge and invaluable expertise. At the core of this ecosystem is Kaspersky Industrial CyberSecurity (KICS) (https://apo-opa.co/3K8S27W), a native Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform designed for critical infrastructure protection. It provides robust network traffic analysis, along with endpoint protection, detection and response capabilities. This comprehensive solution integrates traditional IT security measures with purpose-built industrial security technologies, ensuring that your company is well-equipped to face any threat.
  • Companies from non-industrial sectors can protect themselves by installing anti-APT and EDR solutions that enable capabilities for advanced threat discovery and detection, investigation and timely remediation of incidents. Organisations can also provide their SOC teams with access to the latest threat intelligence (https://apo-opa.co/4oZWhSr) and regularly upskill them with professional training. All of the above is available within Kaspersky Next Expert (https://apo-opa.co/4rpBklE).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kaspersky.

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Webb Fontaine Launches Webb Fontaine Zerø at the World Customs Organization (WCO) Technology Conference & Exhibition 2026, Redefining the Future of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Driven Customs Systems

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2 days ago

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February 6, 2026

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Webb Fontaine

Webb Fontaine’s Corporate Sponsorship for the second consecutive edition of the event marked a significant milestone, reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to driving digital transformation in Customs

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, February 6, 2026/APO Group/ –Webb Fontaine (www.WebbFontaine.com), a leading provider of AI-powered trade facilitation solutions, successfully concluded its participation as Corporate Sponsor at the 2026 WCO Technology Conference & Exhibition, where it officially launched its groundbreaking new concept, Webb Fontaine Zerø.

 

Held at the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi from 28 to 30 January 2026, the conference brought together more than 1,500 public and private sector stakeholders, including Customs administrations from over 100 countries, to explore how advanced technologies are shaping the future of border management, trade facilitation, and supply chain resilience.

Webb Fontaine’s Corporate Sponsorship for the second consecutive edition of the event marked a significant milestone, reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to driving digital transformation in Customs through innovation, partnership, and AI powered platforms.

The highlight of Webb Fontaine’s presence was the official unveiling of Webb Fontaine Zerø, a next-generation, LLM-based Customs technology concept built from the ground up for the AI era. Announced during the opening keynote by Webb Fontaine Chief Executive Officer Alioune Ciss, Webb Fontaine Zerø represents a complete reset from legacy systems, embedding artificial intelligence and large language models into every layer of Customs operations.

“AI is no longer a future roadmap on a PowerPoint slide. It is already at work,” said Alioune Ciss, CEO of Webb Fontaine. “With Webb Fontaine Zerø, we rebuilt our core platforms from the ground up, integrating AI into every layer of Customs processes. This is not an upgrade. It is a fresh start for an AI-driven era. Customs administrations need systems that evolve as fast as regulations and trade tariff rates change, and Webb Fontaine Zerøis designed precisely for that.”

With Webb Fontaine Zerø, we rebuilt our core platforms from the ground up, integrating AI into every layer of Customs processes

The 2026 edition of the Conference was held under the theme “Customs Agility in a Complex World: Securing and Facilitating Trade through Innovation,” aligning closely with Webb Fontaine Zerø’s vision of real-time regulatory adaptation, intelligent risk management, and seamless digital trade ecosystems.

Beyond the keynote launch, Webb Fontaine experts actively contributed to high-level discussions throughout the event. Ara Shamirzayan, Chief Technology Officer, led a technical panel on reinventing risk management through advanced data analytics and AI, while Anicet Houngbo, General Manager of Webb Fontaine Benin, moderated a panel on digital facilitation at the border, highlighting successful government transformations across emerging markets.

Webb Fontaine’s exhibition stand attracted significant attention, offering live demonstrations of AI-powered solutions and immersive experiences centered around Webb Fontaine Zerø. Delegates engaged with interactive activations and in-depth discussions on how next-generation technologies can modernize Customs operations, enhance revenue collection, strengthen border security, and accelerate trade flows.

The company also sponsored the official conference dinner on the second day of the event, creating a unique platform for networking and collaboration among global Customs leaders, policymakers, and technology partners.

Webb Fontaine’s strong presence at the conference builds on its long-standing collaboration with the World Customs Organization, including discussions around securing cross-border transactions and contributing to the strategic work done by the WCO through active participation to the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards, the Private Sector Consultative Group (PSCG), and the Permanent Technical Committee (PTC).

With the successful launch of Webb Fontaine Zerø and an impactful week of engagement with the global Customs community, Webb Fontaine continues to position itself at the forefront of AI-driven trade technology.

The company looks forward to advancing discussions initiated at the conference and partnering with governments worldwide to usher in a new era of intelligent, agile, and future-ready Customs systems.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Webb Fontaine.

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CGTN: Vision 2030: China’s tech blueprint reshaping global innovation

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3 days ago

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February 5, 2026

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China

BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 5 February 2026 – In 2025, China achieved unprecedented milestones in technological innovation, from breakthroughs in artificial intelligence to advances in deep-space exploration. CGTN presents a feature article examining how these advances reflect not only industrial growth but also China’s evolving role in global innovation governance, highlighting the country’s commitment to shape international standards, foster collaboration, and address shared challenges like climate change and public health.

The World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index 2025 places China 10th globally for the first time, first among upper‑middle‑income economies and fifth in innovation output.
China leads the world in multiple intellectual property measures, hosts the most top‑100 innovation clusters – including the Shenzhen‑Hong Kong‑Guangzhou cluster now ranked first – and has the world’s second‑largest brand value at $1.81 trillion. Building on this momentum, China is advancing industrial leadership under its 15th Five‑Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) companies have developed more than 200 domestic large models and expanded AI deployment across industries. China’s “AI+” initiative integrates digital technologies with manufacturing and smart systems, and in 2025 China’s core AI industry exceeded 1 trillion yuan (about $142 billion) in scale, underscoring rapid expansion.

Alongside AI developments, China is also expanding its commercial space capabilities: Long March series rockets have launched clusters of satellites from south China’s Hainan Province, and the country has applied for frequency and orbital rights for 203,000 satellites to the International Telecommunication Union, planning a mega‑constellation by 2030 that could support a 1.2 trillion yuan industrial chain.

Complementing these industry advances, in 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative, which outlines China’s constructive approach to global AI development and governance and has since informed subsequent international cooperation discussions and frameworks. In July 2025, China released the Global AI Governance Action Plan, a concrete follow‑up to the 2023 initiative that provides guidance for multilateral cooperation on secure, inclusive and human‑centered AI governance among participating countries and organizations.

China Media Group also outlined the top 10 AI trends for 2026, including globalization of AI governance, scaling computing power, widespread AI agents and multi‑modal interaction technologies.

Supporting these innovations, China strengthens R&D and institutional investment. In 2025, central state‑owned enterprises invested 1.1 trillion yuan in research and development for the fourth consecutive year and 2.5 trillion yuan in strategic emerging industries, while tax and fee reforms totaling about 10.5 trillion yuan during the 14th Five‑Year Plan period (2021-2025) boosted enterprise innovation.

Major fundamental science missions, such as Tianwen‑2 asteroid sampling and the Chang’e‑7 lunar water exploration mission, demonstrate growing long‑term research capabilities.

Looking ahead, China’s next five years of scientific and technological innovation will not be an isolated process. From satellite constellations to AI chips, each breakthrough contributes to addressing global challenges like climate change and disease control.

An innovative China, moving with openness and efficiency, is becoming a key engine for shared global progress.

For more information, please click:
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-02-04/Vision-2030-China-s-tech-blueprint-reshaping-global-innovation-1KujBKYBQHK/p.html

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Cassava Technologies and AXON Networks Announce Strategic Partnership to Fuel Artificial Intelligence (AI) Adoption and Innovation Among African Businesses

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1 week ago

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January 29, 2026

By

CASSAVA

customers and service providers will leverage AXON’s AI-ready, real-time, multi-tenant, digital twin-enabled platform across Cassava’s extensive high-speed fibre backbone

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, January 28, 2026/APO Group/ –Cassava Technologies (www.CassavaTechnologies.com), a global technology leader of African heritage and AXON Networks (AXON) (www.AXON-Networks.com), a global leader in intelligent network platforms, today announced a strategic partnership to co-develop, deploy, and manage Africa’s first end-to-end Operator-as-a-Service (OaaS) platform (https://apo-opa.co/49XR2we).

A bold step in unlocking Africa’s AI and digital future, customers and service providers will leverage AXON’s AI-ready, real-time, multi-tenant, digital twin-enabled platform across Cassava’s extensive high-speed fibre backbone to connect millions of people and businesses across the continent and unlock new pathways for economic development and innovation.

The partnership was announced at Counder Conference 2026 (https://apo-opa.co/4pZn2pB) in Cape Town, South Africa, the flagship event of the Counder visionary leadership network, where 500 global investors, family office principals and corporate decision-makers meet for one of the largest international private capital gatherings ever assembled in the Southern Hemisphere.

“As businesses of all sizes continue to digitise their operations, the need is for cost-effective, flexible, high-performance network solutions that reduce time-consuming manual design and configurations. By partnering with AXON Networks, we are moving beyond traditional hardware-centric infrastructure to create a truly programmable, AI-managed network, which will significantly reduce operational costs and increase access to customers and service providers”, said Hardy Pemhiwa, President & Group CEO of Cassava Technologies. “This transformation allows us to treat our pan-continental fibre network as a dynamic digital platform, enabling us to provision and modify customer networks in near real-time, rather than days or weeks. We are going beyond connectivity to becoming a partner in the digital transformation journeys of our customers”.

We are honored that Cassava Technologies and AXON Networks have chosen Counder Conference 2026 as the platform for this groundbreaking announcement

This AI-first connectivity platform becomes the foundation for accelerating digital transformation for African businesses of all sizes, including other telecommunications service providers. The Operator-as-a-Service platform will deliver secure, private, high-speed data infrastructure, enabling mobile network operators, LEO satellite providers and internet service providers (ISPs) with unprecedented agility, intelligence, and reach. It is designed to support these service providers in unlocking new opportunities for growth, innovation, and AI adoption.

 

 

“Partnering with Cassava, with its unmatched fibre footprint across the continent and investment in AI-enabled data centres, to integrate our Operator-as-a-Service platform with real-time digital twin technology at this scale, is incredibly exciting,” said Martin Manniche, CEO and founder of AXON Networks. “We’re not just mirroring networks — we’re virtualising an entire infrastructure into a live AI-driven ecosystem that will leverage this extensive backbone, including Cassava’s planned AI-powered factory, to bring growth, prosperity, and the promise of AI sovereignty to Africa and its people. This is a transformational opportunity to provide the foundational platform for the AI economy across the African continent and redefine the future for generations to come, and we couldn’t have found a  better partner than Cassava to bring this vision to fruition.”

“We are honored that Cassava Technologies and AXON Networks have chosen Counder Conference 2026 as the platform for this groundbreaking announcement,” said Michel Weiss, Founding Partner and CEO, and Leonard Stiegeler, Founding Partner and Chairman of Counder. “This partnership exemplifies exactly what Counder is designed to foster: trusted connections between visionary leaders that spark meaningful collaboration and drive tangible impact. When world-class organizations come together in Cape Town to advance their work in emerging trends & markets, we see the power of our mission in action: connecting leaders to collaborate on tomorrow’s most important opportunities.”

AXON’s breakthrough OaaS solution creates a living, dynamic model of Cassava’s fibre network, comprising more than 110,000 km of terrestrial and submarine fibre, satellite capacity, and wireless connectivity. By turning networks into self-learning, autonomous, self-optimising systems, AXON’s Digital Twin technology reduces operational complexity, accelerates service delivery, introduces cost efficiencies, and ensures resilient connectivity at scale.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Liquid Intelligent Technologies.

 

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