Amman, May 19 (Petra) -- Cyber incidents recorded locally declined by 16 percent during the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, even as artificial intelligence-driven cyber threats and geopolitical attacks intensified globally, according to a new report issued by the Jordan National Cyber Security Center.
The quarterly cybersecurity assessment showed a decline in the number of critical cyber incidents compared with the fourth quarter of 2025, with critical cases accounting for only 0.5 percent of total incidents recorded during the quarter.
According to the report, cyberattack patterns in Jordan remained broadly aligned with national threat trends observed in recent years, with incidents linked primarily to advanced threat groups, cybercrime networks, and hacking groups.
The report said the scale and nature of cyberattacks continue to be shaped by geopolitical developments, security vulnerabilities, and the rapid evolution of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.
Incidents categorized as disruption and sabotage operations accounted for 70.7 percent of total attacks during the quarter, followed by cyber intrusions at 18.7 percent, cyber espionage at 10.4 percent, and financially motivated attacks at 0.2 percent.
By severity level, 89.2 percent of incidents were classified as medium-risk, 10.3 percent as low-risk, and 0.5 percent as critical.
The report showed that the industrial and commercial sector accounted for the largest share of cyber incidents handled during the quarter at 27.91 percent, followed by government institutions at 20.93 percent, education at 13.95 percent, telecommunications and information technology at 12.79 percent, and the energy sector at 11.63 percent.
Other affected sectors included health, transport, agriculture, water and environment, alongside the financial and security sectors.
The assessment also identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities within some national institutions, with security flaws accounting for 76 percent of detected weaknesses, in addition to unsafe digital configurations and exposed data across online platforms.
The center urged institutions to strengthen cybersecurity measures through continuous threat assessments, tighter access controls, closure of unused digital services and adoption of advanced cybersecurity protection systems.
The report said the first quarter of 2026 witnessed a major transformation in the global cyber threat environment as advanced technologies increasingly intersected with geopolitical tensions.
It highlighted an 89 percent increase in artificial intelligence-supported cyberattacks globally, noting that AI has evolved into a central operational tool in sophisticated cyber campaigns.
According to the report, automation rates in one advanced espionage campaign targeting 30 organizations reached between 80 and 90 percent, reflecting the accelerating sophistication of AI-enabled cyber operations.
//Petra// RZ
