Singapore is grappling with an unprecedented barrage of cyberattacks, with greater than 6.4 million incidents detected in 2024 alone, a determine persevering with its alarming climb this 12 months.
Cybersecurity agency Kaspersky warns that synthetic intelligence (AI) is considerably amplifying these threats, enabling cybercriminals to launch “stealthier and fewer predictable” campaigns throughout the extremely digitalised hub and the broader Asia Pacific (APAC) area.
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New analysis from Kaspersky reveals that its options intercepted a staggering 6,487,624 cyberattacks from numerous on-line assets in Singapore throughout 2024. This alarming tally included over 340,000 exploit-based assaults, 63,400 involving password stealers, and 82,742 assaults utilising backdoors, with these numbers persevering with their upward trajectory into 2025.
The escalating disaster is just not confined to Singapore, with incident response requests throughout the Asia Pacific greater than doubling, leaping from 3.6 per cent to 7.3 per cent.
Kaspersky’s knowledge reveals it blocked over 62 million assaults from on-line sources regionally, together with greater than 16.6 million backdoor assaults and 219,000 banking malware incidents. Critically, over 8 million ransomware assaults have been intercepted, accounting for about 55 per cent of the worldwide whole of 14.5 million, underscoring its widespread prevalence within the area.
Cyberthreat sophistication and depth are surging in tandem with technological developments. In 2024, an astonishing 467,000 new malicious samples have been detected day by day, starkly contrasting the only new risk pattern per second recorded in 2011. This trajectory persists into 2025.
The speedy evolution of AI is a major driver behind this surge, permitting attackers to craft extremely convincing, large-volume phishing campaigns utilizing massive language fashions. AI-driven bots are additionally being deployed to impersonate actual customers, partaking victims in extended conversations via AI-generated textual content, audio, or video for elaborate rip-off operations.
Moreover, AI is actively helping in malware growth, together with the creation of malicious code, and automating cybercriminal actions, thereby bolstering assault quantity and attain.
A first-rate instance of this AI-driven risk is the rising APAC-based ransomware group, FunkSec. Regardless of being lively for lower than a 12 months, FunkSec has quickly outpaced many established cybercriminals. The group targets the federal government, know-how, finance, and schooling sectors, deploying malware developed with AI applied sciences. This superior functionality permits FunkSec to disable over 50 processes on sufferer machines and equips its malware with self-cleanup options.
These ransomware assaults are notably regarding provided that the APAC area accounts for many such instances worldwide. With generative AI turning into more and more accessible and complex in 2025, an extra intensification of those regional threats is anticipated.
Igor Kuznetsov, Director of the International Analysis and Evaluation Workforce at Kaspersky, issued a stark warning:Â “We’re witnessing persistent will increase within the quantity of cyberattacks each in Singapore and regionally. These assaults are getting stealthier and fewer predictable, as cybercriminals leverage AI to reinforce and invent new methods of executing their malicious campaigns.”
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Kuznetsov added, “As a extremely digitalised, interconnected enterprise hub, Singapore will proceed to pose as a chief goal for risk actors. It’s therefore crucial for people and organisations alike to put money into their cybersecurity defences to stop debilitating knowledge and monetary losses.”
To mitigate these evolving threats, Kaspersky specialists suggest people and companies train warning. Key recommendation contains limiting the web sharing of delicate particulars, verifying unsolicited messages, calls, or hyperlinks, scrutinising movies for unnatural actions indicative of deepfakes, and solely putting in functions from official app shops.
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