Malicious email attachments saw a 15% increase in 2025, with spam making up almost half of the total global email traffic, as per the latest findings from cybersecurity firm Kaspersky. According to a company report, Kaspersky’s data indicates that 44.99% of all email traffic in the previous year was categorized as spam, with a significant portion containing scams, phishing links, or malware. Over 144 million malicious or potentially harmful email attachments were identified throughout the year.
In terms of email antivirus detections, the Asia-Pacific region led the way with a 30% share, followed by Europe at 21%. Latin America accounted for 16%, the Middle East 15%, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States 12%, and Africa 6%. Notably, China had the highest detection rate at the national level with 14%, trailed by Russia at 11%. Mexico and Spain each had an 8% share, while Turkey represented 5%, as outlined in the company’s announcement.
Detection activities peaked in June, July, and November, aligning with periods of increased campaign intensity. Kaspersky highlighted the adoption of more sophisticated tactics, such as utilizing multiple communication channels to facilitate scams, embedding phishing links in QR codes, and exploiting legitimate platforms for spam distribution. Additionally, the firm noted a rise in convincing business email compromise efforts, including the circulation of fabricated forwarded messages to create an illusion of authenticity.