TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky revealed malicious activities targeting MSMEs in Southeast Asia during the first half of 2022. In six months, cybercriminals have launched over 11.29 million web attacks on the region's SME sector.

The company said that most of the incidents that were blocked came from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Kaspersky's telemetry data in MSME includes companies with 50-250 employees and is based on Kaspersky products' detection results received from MSME users who have agreed to provide statistical data.

Kaspersky's general manager for Southeast Asia Yeo Siang Tiong said that MSMEs play a huge role in the economic growth of Southeast Asian countries. "According to our latest reports, losses resulting from a single data breach against MSMEs reached US$74,000 in 2021." Yeo said in a statement on Monday, October 17.

In addition to web threats, Kaspersky also detected 373,138 Trojan-PSW (Password Stealing Ware) that tried to infect MSMEs in the region. The highest number of incidents foiled were in Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia during the first half of 2022.

Trojan-PSW is a malware that plays a role in stealing passwords along with other account information. It allows attackers to gain access to corporate networks and steal sensitive information.

"Companies and government organizations must remember that MSMEs are usually third-party suppliers to large companies and important entities. This sector is part of a larger chain and, like a domino effect, if one password thief can break into the system of small and medium-sized enterprises, we can assume that the entire chain has been compromised," Yeo warned.

For small and medium-sized businesses, choosing a security solution is not an easy feat. Products for home users don't have enough capabilities, while solutions for large businesses tend to be more expensive and complex to manage without a dedicated IT Security department.

Another challenge faced by Southeast Asian MSMEs is how to maintain cash flows whilst health crises continue to haunt the region, making the cyber security budget a reserved priority.

ERWIN PRIMA

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