More than 6.5 billion cyberthreats were detected and blocked across Asia and South Pacific in 2024, according to data from cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, one of Interpol’s private-sector partners.
The report also found that more than 135,000 ransomware attacks were recorded across the region in the same period, targeting industries including manufacturing, real estate and financial services.
Meanwhile, 5.5 out of every 1,000 individuals clicked on phishing links each month – roughly twice the global average – with cloud-based applications emerging as the primary targets.
Discussion of deepfakes on cybercriminal forums and Telegram channels used by Southeast Asian threat actors rose 600 per cent from February to June 2024.
ORGANISED CRIME GOING DIGITAL
Interpol warned that organised crime groups are increasingly incorporating AI into cyber-enabled operations across Southeast Asia, including large-scale scam compounds that exploit both victims and trafficked workers.
Jetton described this evolution as the “industrialisation of cybercrime”.
“You used to have to be very technically savvy to commit cybercrimes, but that is not the case anymore. With AI, you can generate phishing emails that look very tailored and legitimate,” he said.
“With the digitisation of society … we are all potential targets for cybercrime.”
Jetton pointed to widespread smartphone ownership, social media presence and online banking usage as factors creating an ever growing pool of potential victims and expanding the attack scope for cybercriminals.
While the report focuses on Asia and the South Pacific, Jetton stressed that phishing and online scams are now among the most common forms of cybercrime worldwide.
