New data from Kaspersky, a leading global cybersecurity company, highlights a decrease in local threats targeting businesses in Southeast Asia (SEA) compared to previous years. In 2021, Kaspersky’s business solutions successfully blocked a total of 49,042,966 local threats from infecting companies in the region. Among the countries experiencing a higher prevalence of these attacks were Indonesia with 19,614,418 incidents, Vietnam with 17,834,312, and Thailand with 5,838,460. Kaspersky also prevented 3,841,548 local threats in Malaysia, 1,585,384 in the Philippines, and 328,844 in Singapore.
These local threats refer to malicious programs discovered directly on users’ computers or removable media connected to them, such as flash drives, camera memory cards, phones, and external hard drives. They may also include programs initially introduced to the computer in non-open forms, like encrypted files or complex installers.
Although local threats against SEA businesses are more prevalent than online attacks monitored and blocked by Kaspersky, a consistent decline has been observed year-on-year. In 2020, the peak of the pandemic, Kaspersky prevented 92 million local infections. This number decreased to 69 million in 2021 and further dropped to 49 million in the latest data, almost half of the total in 2020.
Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky, cautions businesses to remain cautious despite the downward trend. He highlights the continued risk posed by weaponized USBs and removable drives, which can still serve as effective sources of malware capable of compromising networks, servers, and hardware. Tiong emphasizes that protection against offline attacks requires not only an antivirus solution capable of treating infected objects but also a firewall, anti-rootkit functionality, and control over removable devices.
To bolster defenses against sophisticated and targeted cyberattacks, Kaspersky recommends businesses adopt a comprehensive defensive concept. This includes equipping, informing, and guiding teams in their fight against such threats. Kaspersky’s Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform is designed to address these challenges effectively.
For businesses interested in enhanced endpoint protection, Kaspersky has launched a Buy 1 Free 1 promotion in Southeast Asia. This promotion offers two years of enterprise-grade endpoint protection for the price of one, with options such as Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business or Cloud and Kaspersky Endpoint Detection and Response Optimum. Additionally, customers can benefit from 24×7 phone support.
17 May 2023
