Kaspersky: MSMEs Are Increasingly Targeted By Cyber Threats That Imitulate AI Chatbots

JAKARTA - Kaspersky's report found that in 2025, nearly 8,500 MSME businesses were victims of cyber attacks, through malicious software disguised as online productivity applications.

Kaspersky analysts found more than 4,000 malicious files were distributed disguised as 12 popular apps, including collaborative tools such as Teams, Google Drive, and AI services.

In its findings, the global cybersecurity firm found that the threat that mimics ChatGPT jumped 115% in the first four months of 2025, reaching 177 files, while DeepSeek accounted for 83 files.

Interestingly, threat actors are somewhat picky in choosing AI tools as bait. It is likely that attackers will use tools as a disguise for malware or other unwanted types of software directly depend on the popularity of the service, "said Vasily Kolesnikov, Kaspersky's security expert.

In addition to the AI app, Zoom is the most imitated application, covering 41% of the total files, followed by Microsoft Outlook (16%), PowerPoint (16%), and Excel (12%). While Word and Teams cover 9% and 5%, respectively.

Apart from malware, MSMEs are also flooded with phishing and spam emails. This fraudulent scheme targets login credentials or deceive victims into transferring funds.

One example is phishing attempts targeting Google Accounts. The attacker promised potential victims to increase sales by advertising their company on X, with the ultimate goal of stealing their credentials," he explained.

For this reason, Kaspersky reminded MSMEs to remain careful when downloading software or receiving suspicious offers, especially on behalf of popular or AI services.