Brazil mobilized 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 $4.5 billion, driven by the increasing demand for protection in increasingly complex digital environments.
The same study indicates that the country experiences around 140,000 cyberattacks per year, with the public sector being the main target, accounting for nearly 30% of the incidents. This significant volume of attacks keeps Brazil among the main targets of cyberattacks in Latin America.
And this scenario tends to worsen. The concern intensifies with the arrival of 6G, expected in 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 advancements in digital protection to ensure data security and real-time operations.
"With 6G, the speed of information 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, near-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, the response to this scenario requires threat intelligence platforms capable of continuously monitoring anomalous behaviors and identifying suspicious movements at an early stage.
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 potential leaks."In the hyperconnected world, protecting identities is protecting the system itself. They become the new critical point of digital security," the executive points out.
AI shortens the gap between attack and response
One of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity is the response time. While attacks are launched in microseconds, the response from security teams often occurs minutes or hours later.
"Artificial intelligence allows for the automation of 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 on teams and increasing response accuracy.
Cybersecurity gains status as a strategic investment
The consolidation of digital security as a budget priority is evidence of a shift in mindset in the corporate sector. According to the same survey, cybersecurity investments are expected to grow by 9% in Brazil in 2025, and many companies plan to allocate between 4% and 7% of their Information Technology (IT) budgets to cybersecurity. This movement positions the sector as a driver of stability and business continuity in an increasingly regulated and data protection-conscious environment.
