The Asia-Pacific region continues to be the most targeted globally for cyberattacks, with a staggering 51 billion web application attacks recorded in 2024. This marks a 73% year-on-year increase, mainly driven by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which have expanded the attack surface and increased the sophistication of cyber threats.
Key Trends in Cybersecurity Threats
- AI-Powered Attacks: Cybercriminals are leveraging AI to automate attacks, bypass security measures, and exploit vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure.
- Ransomware Surge: Ransomware remains the most common form of attack, particularly affecting the manufacturing sector, which accounted for 40% of incidents.
- API Vulnerabilities: The rise of AI-powered APIs has introduced new security risks, with 150 billion global API attacks observed between 2023 and 2024.
- DDoS Attacks: The region saw a 66% increase in Layer 7 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, with Singapore recording the highest number of incidents.
Government and Corporate Responses
Governments across the region are implementing stricter cybersecurity regulations:
- Singapore has expanded its cybersecurity legislation.
- Japan has updated its national cybersecurity strategy.
- Australia passed the Cybersecurity Act 2024 to strengthen national defenses.
Despite these efforts, cybersecurity experts emphasize the need for proactive security strategies, including multi-factor authentication, real-time threat detection, and AI-driven security solutions to combat evolving cyber risks.
