WELCOME TO THE FEBRUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER

Cyber Scoop is KeyStone Solutions monthly newsletter about the latest trends, topics, and articles relating to cybersecurity. As a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), KeyStone’s expert team helps small to medium sized businesses with IT services including virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO), cybersecurity, help desk support, Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), cloud solutions, and KeyStone’s signature service, IT Team as a Service (ITTaaS) which is an all-encompass solution.

Latest Cybersecurity News

Catch up on the latest cybersecurity headlines with a curated list of recent articles and updates. Explore expert insights and breaking developments to stay informed on the threats and trends impacting the digital landscape.

• 2/15/26 – Windows 11 KB5077181 Security Update Causing Some Devices to Restart in an Infinite Loop
• 2/13/26 – Malicious Chrome Extensions Caught Stealing Business Data, Emails, and Browsing History
• 2/12/26 – SmarterMail facing widespread attacks targeting critical flaws
• 2/10/26 – New ‘ZeroDayRAT’ Spyware Kit Enables Total Compromise of iOS, Android Devices
• 2/2/26 – OpenClaw is a security nightmare – 5 red flags you shouldn’t ignore (before it’s too late)

Be proactive and contact KeyStone if you would like a complimentary consultation to ensure your business is fully protected.

From The Desk of the CISO

Defending SMBs Against the Rising Sophistication of AI‑Driven Cyberattacks

By Rob Ashcraft, CISO at KeyStone Solutions

KeyStone Solutions SMB customers have been dealing with a huge uptick in cyber risk as attackers increasingly weaponize artificial intelligence to scale, personalize, and automate their operations. Consequently, I wanted to share some thoughts on defending against these attacks, as we can expect threat actors to increase the use of AI to launch convincing phishing campaigns, generate deepfake frauds, and exploit vulnerabilities in seconds. It is a given that AI will continue to increase the speed and accuracy of attacks. Threat actors will be using AI to automate reconnaissance, bypass traditional security filters, and adapt in real time to defensive responses, resulting in attacks that are harder to detect and significantly faster in their execution.

What Does This Mean for Your Business?

Commentary by KeyStone’s Rob Ashcraft

The VikingCloud article “207 Cybersecurity Stats and Facts for 2026” provides a solid overview of the rapidly escalating cyber risk landscape. This article highlights the growing sophistication and impact of cybercrime with total global costs estimated at $10.5 trillion in 2025 and potentially rising to as much as $15.63 trillion by 2029.

Businesses are experiencing increased pressure from hybrid and remote work environments, more complex digital ecosystems, and a rise in advanced attack techniques fueled by AI. This article underscores a concerning trend that while many organizations believe they are prepared to detect and respond to attacks but significant gaps remain, especially among front‑line managers compared to C‑suite leaders.

A major theme is the accelerating role of Generative AI which presents both benefits and risks. AI’s ability to improve threat prediction, automate detection, and enhance patching is a big win. However, AI capabilities are also providing threat actors with more targeted, sophisticated, and scalable attacks. The article also cites social engineering, insider threats, supply‑chain risks, and vulnerabilities tied to digital transformation as top concerns heading into 2026. The article ultimately stresses the need for organizations to rethink resilience strategies, strengthen detection and response capabilities, and adapt to a threat landscape that is scaling faster than traditional defenses.

Key takeaways:

• • Cybercrime costs continue to surge, expected to hit $10.5T by 2025 and grow further toward 2029.
  • Hybrid and remote work remain major concerns with 72% of business owners worried about related cybersecurity risks.
  • AI is reshaping both sides of cybersecurity with benefits like better threat prediction but on the other hand comes with more scalable, sophisticated attacks.
  • Confidence gaps exist within organizations with C‑suite leaders expressing higher confidence in detection/response capabilities than front‑line managers.
  • Social engineering and insider threats are rising, prompting many companies to reassess supply‑chain and third‑party risks.

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