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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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8 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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Africa’s Mining Boom Has a New Financier: Domestic Capital

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43 minutes ago

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July 22, 2026

By

Etu Energias

As African banks and investors take larger stakes in mining deals across the continent, Moore Infinity’s Danie Dorfling tells African Mining Week why domestic capital will be critical to financing Africa’s next generation of mineral projects

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, July 21, 2026/APO Group/ –As demand for critical minerals accelerates and governments push to capture more value from their resources, African banks and investors are stepping into larger roles financing the projects that will define the continent’s next mining era.

The latest example came in July, when Kropz subsidiary Kropz Elandsfontein secured a R200 million loan from Ubuntu-Botho Investments, the indirect controlling shareholder of African Rainbow Capital, to strengthen its phosphate mining operations in South Africa’s Western Cape. The transaction reflects growing confidence among domestic investors in Africa’s mining sector and signals a broader trend: regional capital is increasingly moving from the sidelines into the center of mining development.

In an exclusive interview with Energy Capital & Power, organizers of African Mining Week (AMW), Danie Dorfling, Head of Business Development at Moore Infinity – a partner of AMW – said the growing participation of domestic capital marks a fundamental shift in how Africa finances mining projects.

“Domestic capital is no longer an optional supplement to foreign investment. It is becoming a test of whether Africa can convert its mineral wealth into durable domestic financial capacity,” he said.

Dorfling pointed to the $700 million financing package secured in April 2026 for Phase 2 of South Africa’s Platreef Mine by Nedbank, Absa and France’s Société Générale as an example of African financial institutions partnering with global lenders to finance complex, large-scale mining developments.

Domestic capital is no longer an optional supplement to foreign investment

“The significance is that African banks were not asked to replace international capital; they participated alongside it in a major, complex mining financing. That hybrid model is likely to be more scalable than expecting large projects to be funded exclusively from either domestic or international balance sheets,” said Dorfling.

The trend extends beyond South Africa. As Africa seeks to mobilize its estimated $2 trillion in non-bank domestic capital to finance strategic infrastructure and industrial development, regional financial institutions are expanding their role across the mining value chain.

Tharisa recently secured a R750 million revolving asset finance facility from Nedbank to acquire specialized underground mining equipment for its Apollo Mine in South Africa’s Bushveld Complex. Meanwhile, Absa is supporting major projects including Pensana’s Longonjo Rare Earth Project in Angola and the Kamoa Copper Mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo alongside Rawbank and Nigeria’s FirstBank.

According to Dorfling, Rawbank’s participation demonstrates how domestic African institutions are building the expertise and balance sheet capacity required to participate in increasingly complex regional mining transactions.

Collectively, these developments reflect a broader evolution in Africa’s mining finance landscape. Rather than relying solely on international development finance institutions and foreign commercial lenders, projects are increasingly being supported through blended financing structures combining domestic banks, regional financial institutions and global investors. This approach diversifies funding sources, strengthens local capital markets and enables African institutions to capture greater value from the continent’s expanding mining industry.

These trends will take center stage at AMW 2026, taking place from October 14–16 in Cape Town under the theme “Mining the Future: Unearthing Africa’s Full Mineral Value Chain.” Bringing together regional financiers, international investors, mining companies and market intelligence firms, the event will explore how African capital can be integrated with global financing to accelerate project development and strengthen the continent’s mining investment ecosystem.

Financial institutions including Absa, Standard Bank, the Industrial Development Corporation, Africa50, the Africa Finance Corporation, Trade and Development Bank, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, World Mining Investment and Aperoin Investment Group will join industry experts such as Moore Global to examine financing models capable of unlocking Africa’s next generation of mining projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Native Acquires Frontline Research Group to Build the Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Layer for Africa’s $1.7 Trillion Traditional Trade Market

Published

48 minutes ago

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July 22, 2026

By

Native

Acquisition brings market share feeds from 14 African markets into Native’s platform — connecting the actions that grow share with the measurement that proves whether share moved.

NEW YORK, United States of America, July 21, 2026/APO Group/ —

Native (https://Native.io/), the agentic intelligence company building the operating system for offline trade, today announced it has acquired Frontline Research Group (https://FrontlineResearchGroup.com/), a leading market intelligence business serving consumer goods companies across more than 14 African markets.

Native is acquiring Frontline to add independent market share data that tells brands whether their commercial actions are translating into real gains. Together, the two companies give consumer goods companies a complete picture from action to outcome within a single subscription. The acquisition extends Native’s footprint from Latin America into Africa, marking the next step in the company’s plan to serve the world’s largest offline consumer markets.

Native is building the operating system for offline trade, a platform that helps consumer goods companies see, act and measure across the world’s largest fragmented markets. Its global subscriptions include Lattice (field execution), Strata (distribution analytics) and Overwatch (commercial optimization), giving brands the tools to decide where to act and grow share in fragmented, physical trade environments.

Africa represents a vastly underpenetrated growth market for global consumer goods companies. Approximately $1.7 trillion in consumer spend flows through the continent annually, with ~80% moving through traditional trade channels. These fragmented networks of more than 10 million analog stores have historically been difficult for the largest global brands to see, measure and act on.

Frontline has built market share signals in 14 African markets that cannot be credibly scraped, inferred or bought off the shelf

“Most people would look at Frontline and see a regional research company. We see a proprietary data asset at the center of a $1.7 trillion consumer economy,” said Matt McNabb, CEO of Native. “Frontline has built market share signals in 14 African markets that cannot be credibly scraped, inferred or bought off the shelf. When that signal connects to Native’s 3D Store Graph and agentic workflows, the equation changes: brands can see what is happening in the store, understand whether share actually moved and know what to do next. That is the operating system we are building for the offline trade.”

Frontline’s 14 African market share panels give Native a proprietary measurement layer in one of the world’s most important offline consumer regions. Trusted by global consumer leaders including AB InBev, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Diageo, Pepsi, and Unilever, Frontline brings deeply verticalized market share data to Native’s platform as a durable input for agentic intelligence.

“Frontline has built a unique regional position in the market by delivering Traditional Trade market share and other market intelligence in some of the world’s most important offline consumer markets,” said Sean Barnes, CEO of Frontline. .”Native’s platform gives that data a new dimension, pairing our regional depth with major advancements in machine-readable retail, agentic AI and subscription software. That is a fundamentally stronger offering than either company could deliver alone, and it opens up an exciting new chapter for our team.”

Sean Barnes will join Native as Chief Strategy Officer following the close of the transaction. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Native.

 

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Global consumer agentic AI spending will soar to $3.35trn in 2030

Published

55 minutes ago

on

July 22, 2026

By

Marketing
  • 3.8% of global consumer spending will be agent-facilitated in 2030, tripling from this year’s 1.3% equivalent to $944bn
  • Top ten global markets will account for two-thirds (67.9%) of the global consumer agentic AI spend in 2030
  • US share of global agentic AI spend in 2030 will reach 31.9%
  • Telecoms & utilities, financial services and travel & transport will lead agent-to-agent transactions

New WARC x PHD research: From abundance to agents – how the delegation of choice is transforming marketing. Introducing the Four Modes Framework
21 July 2026 – Marketing is operating in an age of abundance. Today’s consumers face more content and choices than they have the attention or means to manage. AI agents are emerging as fundamental tools to help consumers cut through the noise and make decisions faster. New research by PHD in partnership with WARC reveals how quickly they are reshaping the customer journey.

The study finds that total agent-facilitated consumer spending will triple from $944bn this year to $3.35trn in 2030. While consumers will still make most purchase decisions on their own in the next few years, AI agents will increasingly shape what gets seen, shortlisted and bought – and will increasingly mediate the boring, complex or repetitive tasks along the way.

As decision-making increasingly evolves from human consumers to machine intermediaries, this study explores the scale, timeline and implications for brands, agencies and the wider marketing ecosystem.

 

Rohan Tambyrajah, Worldwide Chief Strategy Officer, PHD, says: “This research brings category level empiricism to the open-ended industry conversation about the growth opportunity with consumer facing AI and Agentic AI. It underscores the need for brands to design for both meaning and machine logic, and through Four Modes Framework offers marketers practical guidance on how best to implement against a category-level business case.”

James McDonald, Director of Data, Intelligence & Forecasting, WARC, and author of the research, says: “This landmark study finds that agentic AI is already facilitating the path to purchase for many consumers, and will become deeply embedded over the coming years to influence $3.35trn in household expenditure by 2030.

“This is true not just in high-frequency categories such as travel, CPG, and utilities, but increasingly more so in sectors that have traditionally leveraged brand marketing as a core strategy. By mapping adoption across product sectors, markets and media, our research ensures practitioners are not caught flat-footed as they approach the new frontier.”

Methodology of the research

The research draws on data provided by Acxiom and uses a weighted index approach to evaluate key factors such as decision complexity, transaction value, purchase frequency, data availability, media mix, and market regulation to make a holistic assessment of how much consumers will spend on AI channels in 2026 and 2030. The analysis covers the global viewpoint of ten markets: Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Mexico, South Korea, UK & US. Additionally, it includes industry expert views and category analysis.

Key findings from the research outlined in ‘From abundance to agents – how the delegation of choice is transforming marketing’ are:

Categories and markets leading on agentic AI consumer spend

Agentic AI – artificial intelligence systems that understand goals, plans steps, and act autonomously – are making their mark on high-frequency categories like travel & transport, food, and media & publishing. By 2030, AI-facilitated spending will surge across all industries, especially where purchases are frequent and data-rich.
The top three markets for agentic AI consumer spending in 2030 will be:

US: The US will lead agentic AI spending at $1.1trn (31.9% of the global total), driven by consumers already comfortable with digital commerce and brands with the resources to deploy agents at scale.

China: China will be the second-largest market at $505.8bn (15.1% of global spend), powered by high platform integration, government support, and consumers ready to embrace delegated commerce.

UK: The UK will capture 3.9% of global agentic AI spending ($131.2bn), driven by strong talent, major investments, and government backing for AI-led transformation.

How agentic AI will affect consumer spending: introducing The Four Modes Framework

Agentic AI will not impact all industry categories evenly. PHD’s Four Modes Framework defines where marketing must evolve as brands extend focus to influencing machines. Each mode of marketing requires strategy, capability design and creativity—and all four will coexist, with their importance varying by category, purchase occasion and customer journey stage. The framework serves as a navigation tool to see the category impact of agentic AI on marginal purchasing decisions in 2026 and 2030, while recognising that brand advertising, salience, and equity remain fundamental to success.
Agent → Agent:

Agent adoption will surge where purchases are repetitive, searchable, and measurable—not necessarily high-volume or low-value, just routine enough for AI to own the entire journey.

The three industry categories where agentic AI will have the greatest impact are:

1. Telecoms & Utilities will grow 611.9% from $57.6bn in 2026 to $410.3bn by 2030 – making it the largest category for AI agents. Information-dense, frequent billing, and comparison-led contract switching make these infrequent but high-value purchases ideal for AI delegation.

2. Financial Services decisions are too sensitive to fully delegate, but too complex not to be agent-assisted. Total agent-facilitated consumer spending will increase 235.3% to $237.9bn by 2030.

3. Travel & Transport will lead agent-facilitated spending at $78.1bn in 2026, surging 252.8% to $275.6bn by 2030 as AI agents take control of discovery, planning, and booking.

Agent → Consumer:

1. Alcoholic Drinks: This category is habitual and identity-driven – brand loyalty still rules. AI agents will influence $62bn in spending in 2026, advising on party ideas, drink pairings, and occasions. By 2030, agentic spending will grow 219.0% to $198.4bn as agents dominate both replenishment and discovery.

Soft Drinks: Starting small at $60.5bn in agent-influenced spending in 2026, it will see massive growth of 403.5% to $304.8bn by 2030. Habit-driven, low-value replenishment is perfect for AI automation—optimising price, convenience, and repeat purchasing.

2. Food: This category is primed for early use of agentic AI thanks to is high frequency, low decision complexity. Agents will influence $78.1bn globally in 2026, surging 274.8% to $292.8bn by 2030.

3. Media & Publishing: At $73.3bn, this category is already one of the most impacted by agentic AI. Subscriptions, recommendations, and content consumption are digitally native and measurable. By 2030, agentic AI spending will increase 401.8% to $367.8bn.

4. Retail: will see agent-facilitated spending grow 218.7%—from $62.7bn in 2026 to $199.9bn in 2030 driven by omnichannel shopping and AI comparison. The challenge for retailers will be to remain part of the consumer shopping journey, not just a fulfillment provider.

Brand → Consumer

High-value, infrequent purchases such as automobiles, electronics, and categories with privacy constraints such as pharma & healthcare, leave less room for agentic AI transaction. Trust is important as consumers must feel confident before delegating expensive or privacy-sensitive decisions.

Consumer → Consumer

Categories such as toiletries & cosmetics, clothing & accessories are heavily influenced by word of mouth and creators and are less affected by agentic AI than others. The impact may be smaller, but it won’t be completely absent.

The brand imperative

Brands must learn new skills to successfully market to machines. The shift to agentic AI will require marketers to have:

  • A strong foundation of structured, machine-readable data
  • Distinctive and differentiated brand assets
  • A unified brand story that resonates with both humans and AI interfaces

‘From abundance to agents – how the delegation of choice is transforming marketing’ report is available to read in full here.

 

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