Staff Reporter
Published:
/Pressmaster from Envato
Semperis finds attacker use of AI was reported by 60% of affected local organisations.
A new global ransomware report released today by cyber resilience firm Semperis reveals that artificial intelligence is playing a major role in cyberattacks, with Singapore organisations heavily impacted.
According to the 2026 Ransomware Risk Report, 60% of Singapore companies targeted by ransomware in the past 12 months reported that attackers used artificial intelligence, compared to 40% globally.
Overall, 98% of respondents noted that artificial intelligence was involved in some capacity, either by attackers, defenders, or both.
The study found that criminals are using psychological intimidation in nearly 25% of all attacks across countries including the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Singapore, Canada, and Australia.
In Singapore, attackers are using artificial intelligence at 1.5 times the global rate, and 42% of organisations reported that criminals manipulated or exploited an internal artificial intelligence agent or system.
Threat tactics have also grown more personal, with criminals increasingly threatening staff and their families.
Amongst Singapore organisations that faced threats, 56% received threatening texts, letters, or packages at home or the office, whilst 41% reported threats made against family members or friends.
Artificial intelligence defences yielded mixed results for Singapore businesses. Whilst 49% successfully used artificial intelligence to detect or respond to attacks, 28% found that their artificial intelligence tools failed or only partially worked.
Furthermore, identity systems were targeted in over nine in 10 attacks, with 92% reporting that criminals exploited identity infrastructure such as Active Directory at 52%, Entra ID at 48%, and Okta at 37%, compared to a global average of 87%.
The financial and operational fallout remains severe.
In Singapore, 52% of organisations experienced business disruption or revenue loss, 47% faced cancelled cyber insurance policies or increased premiums, and 26% paid a ransom.
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