InfoGuard Cyber Security and Cyber Defence Blog

Limited resources? No excuse for inadequate cyber defense.

Written by Estelle Ouhassi | 29 Sep 2025


Real-time alert: cyberattacks at record level

In the first half of 2025, the number of complex cyberattacks on Swiss organizations rose by a whopping 115% - a peak value that affects Switzerland more than its neighboring countries. At the same time, almost 90 percent of companies rely on automated processes with AI support. The result: with the rapidly growing spread of AI applications, current security aspects are increasingly losing their impact.

Practical experience also confirms the trend. InfoGuard's CSIRT dealt with 184 cyber incidents in the first half of the year. By comparison, the incident response team dealt with 264 incidents in 2024.

Figure 1: Year-on-year comparison gives an idea of the significant increase for 2025

Switzerland as a target: international cyber gangs smell big business.

Prosperity and innovative strength make Swiss companies particularly attractive to cyber criminals. Despite a high level of digitalization, many organizations lack cyber maturity - an advantage that attackers exploit in a targeted manner. Cyber criminals rely on the human factor, search for forgotten development or test systems and even manipulate security tools in order to remain undetected.

At the same time, blind spots are growing: legacy, test and development systems are opening gateways and are increasingly being targeted by cyber criminals. Only a holistic cyber defense with complete visibility across all IT, OT and IoT environments as well as continuous innovation will ensure long-term competitiveness.

This is why AI acts as a driver for mass cybercrime

Generative AI models radically shift the balance of power between attack and defense. This is because AI massively reduces cybercriminals' knowledge deficits and equips them with highly developed, behavior-based tools.

Instead of specialized hacker teams, an AI language model is now enough to create deceptively real phishing campaigns, malware or deepfakes. CEO fraud, spearphishing and ransomware-as-a-service are also commonplace - a business model that enables even less tech-savvy perpetrators to carry out attacks.

Cybercrime is setting new standards in terms of speed and deception with AI-based attack methods. This is precisely where being prepared comes into play: strategy, innovation, clear processes and smart know-how form the foundation, while regular penetration tests, proactive research and close partnerships complement these effectively. This creates a sustainable innovative edge and real resilience.

Strategy and digital intelligence: how to outsmart hackers!

Cyber criminals only need a single vulnerability, while defenders need to secure all potential gaps. This asymmetry makes it clear that organizations need smarter tools than the attackers. Effective cyber defense therefore requires the interplay of innovative technology, established processes and human expertise - traditional protection mechanisms alone are no longer enough.

Continuous 24/7 monitoring, AI-supported detection and immediate response are crucial. A Security Operations Center (SOC) with an integrated Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) offers exactly that - including pre-breach activities that stop attacks before damage occurs.

The coming years will pose major challenges for organizations of all sizes - especially SMEs. Traditional defense mechanisms are reaching their limits, while generative AI is intensifying the digital race and further widening the gap between attack and defense. Sound threat intelligence and decisive action are now essential to ensure resilience and the ability to act.

Cyberfit despite limited resources: 4 recommendations for action to strengthen your resilience

Limited resources are no obstacle: with a holistic security strategy, cyber resilience becomes an effective protective shield against threats.

These four measures are crucial:

  • Threat intelligence: recognizing and classifying threats at an early stage.
  • Innovative technologies: AI-supported attack detection and immediate response.
  • SOC & CSIRT: 24/7 monitoring and incident response by experts.
  • Decisive action: Clear processes and quick decisions in an emergency.

Where internal resources are lacking, external cyber security services safeguard essential values: reputation, innovative strength and competitiveness. InfoGuard relies on two dedicated SOCs in Switzerland and Germany, operated by over 90 experienced SOC and CSIRT specialists. Whether managed or co-managed SOC: our open XDR architecture, ISO 27001 certification and memberships such as FIRST guarantee maximum security in 24/7 live operation.

In this way, you can effectively protect your company before a vulnerability turns into a security-critical incident and create lasting resilience at the same time. Contact us at and let us accompany you on your way to maximum security with practical, tried-and-tested expertise.

 

Caption: Image generated with AI