Cybersecurity is entering a new phase. The biggest threat to organisations is no longer necessarily a suspicious e-mail or an obviously malicious file. Increasingly, cybercriminals are exploiting the digital experiences, platforms and workflows that employees already trust.

Gen Digital’s H1 2026 Threat Report highlights a clear shift in the threat landscape. Attackers are moving closer to trusted systems, exploiting booking platforms, messaging services, online advertising, payment processes, software updates, identity data and even AI agents. The result is a threat environment where a legitimate-looking interaction can become the starting point for a cyberattack.

For African businesses, this shift has important implications. Traditional antivirus remains essential, but modern protection must extend beyond malware detection. Organisations need layered security that protects devices, applications, users, data and digital identities.

This is where Gen Digital’s portfolio of cybersecurity brands – including Avast, AVG and Norton – provides a broad range of solutions for businesses, IT resellers and managed service providers (MSPs).

The threat is increasingly hiding in plain sight

Gen Digital’s latest research found that 114.2 million e-shop scam attacks were blocked during the first half of 2026, while tech support scam attacks reached 20.3 million. Government impersonation scams increased by 387%, and family impersonation scams rose by more than 454%.

The report also identified more than 304 million scam-related advertising impressions across the EU and UK in less than one month, while approximately 1.9 billion tracking attempts were blocked during the first half of the year.

These figures demonstrate a fundamental change in how attacks are delivered. Cybercriminals are not simply trying to break through security systems. They are increasingly trying to manipulate the context around the user.

A fake online store can look professional. A fraudulent support request can appear to come from a familiar brand. A compromised account can use a legitimate messaging platform. An AI-generated message or video can make a scam appear more credible.

For businesses, the lesson is clear: protection must operate across multiple layers of the digital environment.

Avast Business: centralised protection for modern IT environments

For organisations requiring centralised security management, Avast Business provides a comprehensive platform for protecting and managing business environments.

The Avast Business Hub enables IT administrators and service providers to manage security across multiple devices from a central cloud-based platform. Depending on the selected solution, capabilities include endpoint protection, ransomware and phishing defence, web control, USB protection, remote access and support and patch management.

Patch management is particularly important as attackers continue to exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software. Avast Business enables organisations to identify missing updates and deploy patches across Windows systems and supported third-party applications, helping IT teams reduce exposure without manually managing every endpoint.

For MSPs, the platform also provides an opportunity to manage multiple customer environments efficiently while building broader managed security services around endpoint protection, patching and remote support.

AVG Business: practical protection for growing organisations

AVG Business provides another option for organisations seeking accessible, effective protection for business endpoints.

For smaller organisations, the challenge is often balancing cybersecurity requirements with limited IT budgets and resources. A security platform must be straightforward to deploy and manage while addressing the most common threats facing employees and business systems.

AVG Business solutions can help partners address these requirements by providing endpoint protection and cloud-managed security capabilities suitable for small and medium-sized organisations.

For resellers, this creates an opportunity to align the right solution with the customer’s size, risk profile and IT maturity rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Norton Small Business: extending protection beyond the endpoint

The H1 2026 Threat Report also highlights the growing importance of identity and personal information protection. Gen Digital recorded a 628.1% increase in breach notification alerts with an identified source of the leak, while financial and identity-related activity continued to expose consumers and businesses to additional risk.

Norton Small Business addresses this broader security challenge by combining device protection with features such as cloud backup, password management, software updating and dark web monitoring. Premium offerings can also include additional privacy and financial protection capabilities.

For small businesses, this is increasingly relevant because a compromised employee or business account can become the starting point for wider fraud, phishing or account takeover activity.

A portfolio approach creates opportunity for the channel

For IT resellers and MSPs, the value of the Avast, AVG and Norton portfolio lies in its ability to support different customer profiles and security requirements.

A small business may need straightforward endpoint and identity protection. A growing organisation may require centralised management, patching and remote support. A larger or more distributed customer may need a broader managed security service.

This creates opportunities for channel partners to move beyond once-off licence sales and build recurring services around endpoint protection, security management, patching, backup, privacy and identity monitoring.

Avert IT Distribution: enabling African technology partners

Access to global cybersecurity technology is only part of the equation. For African resellers, MSPs and system integrators, local expertise, commercial support and responsive technical assistance can be equally important.

Avert IT Distribution supports partners across Africa as a specialist distributor of security and infrastructure software solutions, including the Gen portfolio of Avast, AVG and Norton business products.

Its channel-focused model is built around strong vendor relationships, competitive pricing, technical enablement and a broad regional partner ecosystem. Partners can access onboarding support, product training, certifications, sales assistance, marketing support and technical guidance designed to help them position and deploy solutions successfully.

With a network of hundreds of reseller and MSP partners across Africa, Avert IT Distribution helps technology businesses develop sustainable cybersecurity offerings and identify recurring revenue opportunities.

For partners, the benefit is more than access to products. It is the ability to combine globally recognised cybersecurity brands with local market knowledge and support.

Turning threat intelligence into action

The Gen Digital H1 2026 Threat Report demonstrates that cybercrime is increasingly exploiting trust. Attacks are entering familiar workflows, legitimate platforms and everyday business processes.

As this trend continues, organisations need a layered approach to cybersecurity – one that protects the endpoint while also addressing vulnerabilities, identities, applications, privacy and user behaviour.

Avast Business, AVG Business and Norton Small Business provide channel partners with a portfolio capable of addressing different customer needs across the African market.

Backed by Avert IT Distribution’s regional expertise, partner enablement and channel support, resellers and MSPs have an opportunity to turn this growing demand for protection into sustainable customer relationships and recurring business growth.

Businesses and IT partners interested in joining the Avert IT Distribution reseller network can contact the sales team to discuss licensing, onboarding, technical enablement and opportunities to grow their cybersecurity services portfolio.

To become an AvertITD reseller, complete this form or contact sales on +27100074430 (Johannesburg) or +27210072655 (Cape Town), or e-mail [email protected]. Find AvertITD on LinkedIn or send us a message on WhatsApp.

About Avert IT Distribution
Avert ITD combines global cybersecurity technology with strong regional expertise, offering localised licensing, commercial flexibility and partner enablement. With established operations in South Africa and a growing footprint across Africa, Avert ITD supports partners in navigating compliance requirements, deployment challenges and market-specific needs.

In addition to distribution, Avert ITD provides technical training, presales support, partner onboarding and ongoing sales assistance, empowering resellers to deliver trusted cybersecurity solutions while building sustainable businesses.