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