SonicWall’s 2026 Cyber Protect Report finds that medium and high severity attacks rose 20.8%, highlighting gaps in security practices.
SonicWall has released its 2026 Cyber Protect Report, which focuses on the protection outcomes of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
The report indicates that medium and high severity attacks increased by 20.8% to 13.15 billion hits. Data from over one million sensors shows that while attackers are using increasingly precise methods, many breaches are the result of preventable operational gaps.
The document identifies “Seven Deadly Sins of Cybersecurity”, which include ignoring fundamentals, false confidence, overexposed access and reactive security postures. Additional factors include cost-driven security decisions, reliance on legacy access models such as VPNs, and prioritising tool acquisition over complete deployment.
Michael Crean, SVP and GM of Managed Security Services at SonicWall, said: “SonicWall data reveals attacks are getting faster, and in some instances, they’re getting a little more sophisticated. But the vast majority of the attacks that we’re seeing and investigating are basic fundamentals that continue to be missed.”
Further findings reveal that automated bots generate more than 36,000 vulnerability scans per second, and identity or cloud compromise accounts for 85% of actionable security alerts. In 2025, ransomware was involved in 88% of SMB breaches, more than double the rate seen in larger enterprises.
Debasish Mukherjee, Vice President of Sales, APJ at SonicWall, said: “By reframing our research around protection outcomes, SonicWall aims to help organisations move beyond threat awareness to action, focusing on the areas that directly reduce risk.”
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