In June 2026, the Malta Financial Services Authority (the “Authority”) issued a Circular notifying Authorised Persons of the publication of its first Cyber Threats Awareness Brief. The publication provides an overview of key cyber threat developments observed throughout 2025 and the first five months of 2026, based on publicly available open-source information, with the aim of supporting awareness and strengthening cyber resilience across the financial services sector. The Authority emphasises that the Brief is intended for awareness purposes and does not introduce any new regulatory obligations. The Brief also provides a forward-looking perspective on cyber threats expected to shape the risk environment during the second half of 2026.

The cyber threat landscape continues to evolve rapidly. Whilst established threats such as phishing, ransomware, credential theft and vulnerability exploitation remain prevalent, the Brief highlights how threat actors are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), automation and social engineering techniques to enhance the scale and effectiveness of cyberattacks. Deepfake-enabled fraud and AI-assisted phishing campaigns are among the trends identified as gaining prominence during early 2026.

A further theme highlighted in the Brief is the growing reliance on ICT third-party service providers. As financial entities continue to rely on cloud, software and identity service providers to support critical operations, incidents affecting these providers can have wider consequences across the sector. The Brief therefore underscores the importance of understanding ICT dependencies and effectively managing concentration and supply chain risks.

Looking ahead, the Authority identifies a number of areas expected to shape the cyber risk environment during the remainder of 2026, including AI-enabled threats, software supply chain compromise, cyber-enabled fraud and evolving geopolitical cyber activity. The findings serve as a timely reminder that maintaining situational awareness and regularly assessing exposure to emerging threats remain fundamental aspects of effective cyber risk management and digital operational resilience.

The publication of this Brief represents another important step in the Authority's ongoing efforts to support digital operational resilience across Malta's financial services sector. By providing timely insights into emerging cyber threats and risk trends, the Brief encourages Authorised Persons to enhance their situational awareness, assess their exposure to evolving threats and strengthen their cyber resilience capabilities. In an increasingly interconnected and technology-driven environment, maintaining an informed understanding of the cyber threat landscape remains essential to effective risk management and operational resilience.