One cybersecurity firm defines web-based threats as network-based threats involving private networks, network host devices and web servers
In analyzing its Jan–Dec 2023 customer protection metrics in South-east Asia (SEA), a cybersecurity firm has disclosed some trends observed about web-based threats and online threats in six customer markets.
Web-based or online threats are a category of cybersecurity risks that may cause an undesirable event or action via the internet, such as access denial, access acquisition, unauthorized or unwanted use of computer/network services, breaches of data, and unauthorized or undesired changes to computer/network resources.
During the period of data analysis, a 31% jump over 2020 numbers (for web-based/online threats) was noted for the firm’s business-to-business cybersecurity products installed in businesses of various sizes. On a daily basis, cybercriminals had launched an average of 36,552 online attacks targeting the firm’s six SEA-market business customers last year.
Compared to 2022 numbers for the same threats in the firm’s protection eco-system, the following metrics were noted:
| Country | 2022 web/online threats | 2023 web/online threats | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 6,418,588 | 4,968,729 | -1,449,859 (-22.5%) |
| Malaysia | 1,820,437 | 1,539,905 | -280,532 (-15.4%) |
| The Philippines | 492,567 | 1,691,167 | +1,198,600 (+243.34%) |
| Singapore | 889,093 | 1,653,726 | +764,633 (+86.00%) |
| Thailand | 1,232,311 | 1,531,430 | +299,119 (+24.27%) |
| Vietnam | 2,485,168 | 1,956,618 | -528,550 (-21.26%) |
| Grand total | 13,338,164 | 13,341,575 | +3,411 (+0.025%) |
It has been considered that tighter cybersecurity laws mandating disclosures of cyber incidents and strengthening of cybersecurity practices between 2022 and 2023 could account for the differences found in the web-based/online threats.
According to Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager (SEA), Kaspersky, the firm disclosing its 2023 threat data analysis: “As most governments in the region build and boost their policies to foster their digital economy and infrastructure, it is urgent for local businesses to prioritize strengthening their cyber defenses against threats lurking online that can hamper their efforts to harness the benefits digitalization brings about. Long gone are the days when a basic firewall and endpoint solutions are enough. With the massive data all types of organizations are handling now, and the immense reputational and financial damages an attack can result in, an adaptive and intelligence-led security solutions and services portfolio is the need of the hour.”
