Brazil moved R$17 billion in cybersecurity in 2024, according to a survey by Peers Consulting + Technology, a direct reflection of the escalation of digital crimes in the country. The projection is that by 2029, this market will reach nearly US$4.5 billion, driven by the increasing demand for protection in increasingly complex digital environments.
The same study points out that the country records about 140 thousand cyber attacks per year, with the public sector being the main target, accounting for almost 30% of the occurrences. This significant volume of attacks keeps Brazil among the main targets of cyber attacks in Latin America.
And this scenario is likely to worsen. Concern intensifies with the arrival of 6G, expected by 2030, which promises to connect billions of devices simultaneously in critical applications such as autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and remote surgeries. This new infrastructure will significantly expand the attack surface and will require robust advances in digital protection to ensure data security and real-time operations.
“With 6G, information speed becomes exponential. And this also applies to cybercrime. The only way to respond to this new reality is with artificial intelligence operating in real-time,” says Ana Cerqueira, CRO of the Brazilian cybersecurity company ZenoX.
6G: speed, volume, and a new frontier of risk
The promise of 6G is to deliver ultra-fast connectivity, almost zero latency, and large-scale integration of smart objects, from cars to medical records. But this technological revolution carries with it the challenge of expanding the digital attack surface.
“Each new connection point is a potential new vulnerability. The 6G infrastructure expands the risk perimeter in an unprecedented way,” says Ana Cerqueira. According to the executive, responding to this scenario requires threat intelligence platforms capable of continuously monitoring anomalous behaviors and identifying suspicious movements even in the early stages.
With multiple devices connected at all times, protecting digital identities becomes a priority. 6G will bring more complex authentication contexts, requiring continuous monitoring of credentials, suspicious activities, and possible leaks. “In the hyperconnected world, protecting identities is protecting the system itself. They become the new critical point of digital security,” points out the executive.
AI shortens the window between attack and response
One of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity is the reaction time. While attacks are launched in microseconds, often the response from security teams occurs minutes, or hours, later.
“Artificial intelligence allows automating critical analyses and decisions. With it, we can drastically reduce the exposure window and act almost at the same pace as the attack,” says Ana.
Today there are already AI-based tools on the market that operate with risk algorithms that prioritize alerts based on real threats, avoiding overload in teams and increasing response accuracy.
Cybersecurity gains strategic investment status
The consolidation of digital security as a budgetary priority is evidence of a mindset shift in the corporate sector. According to the same survey, investments in cybersecurity are expected to grow by 9% in Brazil in 2025, with many companies planning to allocate between 4% and 7% of their Information Technology (IT) budgets to the cybersecurity area. This movement positions the sector as a driver of stability and business continuity in an increasingly regulated and demanding environment regarding data protection.
