Check Point releases its Global Threat Intelligence Report for August 2025

Check Point Research Reports Global Cyber Attacks Hit Nearly 2,000 Weekly Per Organisation in August as Education, Telecoms, and Agriculture Face Record Surges.   

Africa tops most heavily attacked region with 3,239 weekly attacks per organisation and Education remains the most attacked industry with 4,178 weekly incidents; North America sees 20% rise driven by ransomware, which climbed 14% globally 

JOHANNESBURG, SA – September 11, 2025 - Check Point Research, the Threat Intelligence arm of Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a pioneer and global leader of cyber security solutions, today released its Global Threat Intelligence Report for August 2025, showing that organisations worldwide faced an average of 1,994 cyber attacks per week. While this marked a 1% decline from July, it represented a 10% increase year-over-year, reinforcing that the global cyber threat landscape remains at historically high levels. 

Regionally, Africa reported the highest average volume of cyberattacks, at 3,239 weekly per organisation (-3%), while Asia-Pacific (2,877 weekly, +2% YoY) and Latin America (2,865 weekly, +6% YoY) also saw high volumes, driven by rapid digitisation and uneven investment in cyber resilience. Europe’s attacks rose by 13% YoY to 1,685 weekly incidents, and North America stood out with a 20% YoY spike to 1,480 weekly attacks, with ransomware fueling the surge — the U.S. alone accounted for 54% of all ransomware cases worldwide. 

Of the four African countries included in the report, Angola suffered the most attacks at 3648 per organisation per week (-37% YoY), followed by Kenya at 3448 per organisation per week (-23% YoY), Nigeria 3394 (-19% YoY), and South Africa 2148 (+26% YoY). 

“August’s threat data makes one thing clear: cyberattacks are intensifying in both volume and impact. Africa's top spot as the most attacked region in the world is cause for alarm. We as a continent need to be doing far more to raise cybersecurity awareness and implement the necessary measures to improve cyber resilience across the board," says Lorna Hardie, Regional Director: Africa, Check Point Software Technologies.  

"Education, telecoms, and agriculture are being targeted because they are essential and because attackers know disruption here creates maximum leverage," says Hardie. 

The Targets: Who and Where 

The education sector once again was the most targeted globally, experiencing an average of 4,178 weekly attacks per organisation last month (+13% YoY). This reflects both the sector’s ongoing digitisation, creating a wider attack surface, and its traditionally underfunded cyber security defenses, making it an easy target for threat actors.  

Telecommunications companies, vital to both business and consumer connectivity, suffered 2,992 weekly attacks (+28% YoY), highlighting their role as both critical infrastructure and a gateway to downstream targets. Government institutions, a consistent focus for cyber criminals and nation-state actors, recorded 2,634 weekly attacks (+3%), while agriculture faced the most dramatic growth at 101% YoY with 1,667 attacks, underlining attackers’ interest in exploiting global supply chains and food security.  

The industry's heavy reliance on technology, IoT sensors, and drones makes it an attractive target for threat actors.  

Ransomware Escalation 

Ransomware remained an extremely disruptive threat vector, with 531 publicly reported incidents globally in August, up 14% YoY. North America was hit the most, accounting for 57% of reported cases, followed by Europe at 24%. By industry, industrial manufacturing (13.6%), business services (11.9%), and construction & engineering (10.4%) bore the brunt of attacks. Other sectors, including healthcare, consumer goods, and financial services, were also significantly impacted. 

Leading ransomware groups included Qilin (16% of attacks), Akira (8%), and Inc. Ransom (6%), the latter notably focusing on healthcare and education, both sectors which are critical to public trust and daily life. 

Omer Dembinsky, Data Research Manager at Check Point Research, says: “August’s threat data makes one thing clear: cyberattacks are intensifying in both volume and impact. Education, telecoms, and agriculture are being targeted because they are essential and because attackers know disruption here creates maximum leverage.  

With ransomware rising and AI accelerating attack speed, the only sustainable path forward is a prevention-first, AI-powered strategy. Organisations must move beyond detection to real-time prevention, protecting the network, cloud, endpoints, and identities in an integrated way. Only by doing so can we build resilience and safeguard critical services against relentless cyber adversaries,” concludes Omer Dembinsky, Data Research Manager at Check Point Research. 

For the full August 2025 Global Threat Index and additional insights, visit the Check Point Blog. 

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About Check Point Research 

Check Point Research provides leading cyber threat intelligence to Check Point Software customers and the greater intelligence community. The research team collects and analyses global cyber-attack data stored on ThreatCloud to keep hackers at bay, while ensuring all Check Point products are updated with the latest protections. The research team consists of over 100 analysts and researchers cooperating with other security vendors, law enforcement and various CERTs.  

About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. 

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com) is a leading protector of digital trust, utilising AI-powered cyber security solutions to safeguard over 100,000 organisations globally. Through its Infinity Platform and an open garden ecosystem, Check Point’s prevention-first approach delivers industry-leading security efficacy while reducing risk. Employing a hybrid mesh network architecture with SASE at its core, the Infinity Platform unifies the management of on-premises, cloud, and workspace environments to offer flexibility, simplicity and scale for enterprises and service providers. 

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