Financial Phishing Becomes A Threat To Companies In Southeast Asia

JAKARTA - From January to June 2024, Kaspersky's anti-phishing technology has detected 336,294 phishing attacks launched on various organizations and businesses in Southeast Asia.

According to its findings, financial phishing attacks in the region are increasing rapidly as cybercriminals continue to evolve and adapt their tactics, so that they become sophisticated.

Where, the number of attacks increased by 41% compared to the same period last year, supported by increased digital adoption and use of artificial intelligence as well as automation by cybercriminals to produce convincing content and target victims more effectively.

The attacks mimic e-commerce, banking, and payment brands and are aimed at stealing credentials and other sensitive data.

The number of potential victims has grown over the past few years given the increasing use of online banking services and digital finance, said Adrian Hia, Managing Director for Asia Pacific in Kaspersky.

Kaspersky experts attribute this sharp increase to the growth of fraudulent activities, and it is not the result of a decrease in user vigilance. Rather, because the perpetrators of crimes are more aggressive in pursuing the victim's data and money.

In this context, Thailand recorded the highest number of financial fraud attacks, namely 141,258, followed by Indonesia with 48,439, Vietnam with 40,102 attacks, and Malaysia recorded 38,056 attacks.

Meanwhile, Singapore and the Philippines recorded the lowest number of threats, namely 28,591 and 26,080, respectively.

Hia said that financial phishing will continue to grow in the region and sectors such as banking, insurance, and e-commerce will remain the main targets.

"Now, companies should further improve their safety measures, by implementing strong solutions, adopting the best practices, and training their workforce to raise awareness of cyber threats and how to protect themselves and their organizations," added Hia.