Three Out Of Four Consumers In Southeast Asia Face A Cyber Threat To Digital Payments

Almost all respondents in Southeast Asia with 97 percent aware of at least one type of threat to electronic payment platforms. (photo: doc. kaspersky)

JAKARTA - Kaspersky's recent research entitled "Mapping a secure path for the future of digital payments in APAC" shows a positive correlation between awareness of the risks associated with digital payments and their application in Southeast Asia (SEA).

Almost all respondents in Southeast Asia with 97 percent aware of at least one type of threat to electronic payment platforms. While almost three in four (72 percent) have personally experienced at least one type of threat related to this technology.

In many ways, this awareness can be attributed to the volume of media coverage of cybersecurity incidents, particularly last year, and the collective efforts of the government and the private sector to raise security awareness amid the widespread adoption of mobile banking and e-wallet in the region.

More than a quarter of respondents experienced social engineering fraud via text or call (37 percent), fake websites (27 percent), fake offers and transactions (27 percent), and a quarter reported having received a phishing scam (25 percent).

Remarkably, social engineering fraud is the most common threat in most Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia (40 percent), Malaysia (45 percent), the Philippines (42 percent), Singapore (32 percent), and Vietnam (38 percent). . The only exception is Thailand where the most common threats are fake websites (31 percent).

At the same time, the impact of cyber threats on digital payments not only burdens consumers financially, but also affects them from a psychological perspective.

After experiencing a cyber incident, 67 percent of respondents from the region said they had become more alert. And 32 percent are also worried about whether they can get back the money they lost.

“The adoption of digital payment methods appears to be a double-edged sword, with convenience and great benefits coming, cybersecurity risks are present as a less desirable aspect,” said Sandra Lee, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky in a written statement, received by VOI Wednesday, April 6th.

On the other hand, Sandra Lee believes that it is too early to categorize digital payments in a binary way. As with technology, there is no definition or characteristic of good or bad attached to it, on the contrary, the use of technology to achieve useful results is determined by how we interact with them.

“If we are to fully realize the benefits of digital payments, it is important that all stakeholders, including governments, digital payment providers, users, and even cybersecurity companies, work together to build a stable, secure and resilient payments ecosystem for the future.” he continued.

In terms of actions taken after facing a threat, nearly 64 percent of respondents made changes to their passwords and other security settings in their banking applications and e-wallet.

In addition, 50 percent of respondents called the bank or the relevant e-wallet company, and another 45 respondents informed their family members and friends about the incident.

Cybersecurity protections are becoming more of a concern to consumers once they are confronted with threats. A total of 26 percent of respondents said they installed a security solution on the infected device. while another 26 percent of respondents said they did regardless of whether their device was infected or not.

“Starting fresh from scratch” was also an option for the 15 percent of respondents who said they downloaded a new e-wallet and created a new account just for security.