In Southeast Asia, businesses face a growing spectrum of web, or internet-born threats as they navigate an increasingly digital economy. The region’s rapid digitalisation has made it both a hub for growth and a target for cybercriminals.
In the first half of 2024, Kaspersky has detected and blocked over 26 million web threats from its security solutions for businesses in the region, averaging 146,944 web attacks every day.
Companies and organisations in Malaysia faced 19,615,255 web-based threats in the first six months of the year, placing the nation at the top of the rank among SEA countries. Indonesia trailed behind in second spot with 3,204,294.
Web-based threats, or online threats, are a category of cybersecurity risks that may cause an undesirable event or action via the internet. Web threats are made possible by end-user vulnerabilities, web service developers/operators, or web services themselves. Regardless of intent or cause, the consequences of a web threat may damage both individuals and organisations.
Vietnam and Thailand are sitting lower in the regional rank, with total web attacks of 1,445,452 and 1,057,732, while 846,837 threats were recorded in the Philippines and 574,292 in Singapore.
“As businesses and governments in the region continue to embrace digitalisation to drive economic growth, their increased reliance on digital platforms broadens their attack surface. This leads to more opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities in unprotected systems, which can cause disruptions to supply chains, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure such as healthcare and energy. Such incidents can damage productivity, lead to financial losses, and erode trust in digital systems,” says Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.
While governments are increasingly focusing on mandatory regulations and laws to protect data and enforce accountability for cybersecurity incidents, it is important that local businesses too must continue keeping round-the-clock vigilance, prioritising and strengthening their cybersecurity posture.
“Cybercriminals in the region are becoming more sophisticated, utilising AI-driven attacks and other tools and techniques Businesses must invest in robust cybersecurity tools like endpoint protection, firewalls, and real-time event monitoring and management. Regular security assessment and audits must be conducted to identify weaknesses and address vulnerabilities,” Yeo remarks.
