Kaspersky Urges To Stay Alert for Increased Cyberattacks During the 2025 Election Season

Global cybersecurity leader Kaspersky reminded Filipinos to be vigilant and prioritize their online safety amid the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 election season.

Cybercriminals have more ways to exploit individuals and organizations at the onset of the campaign period, such as compromising sensitive data to manipulate campaign strategies to outright sabotage electoral results.

During elections, the risk of cyberattacks like phishing, spreading false information, and hacking increases. Kaspersky has pointed out the main threats people need to watch out for:

• Data Breaches through Social Media: Attackers can use social media platforms to collect personal data that can be exploited for targeted attacks or to manipulate public opinion. Sharing too much personal information online, even through seemingly innocent interactions, can make individuals more susceptible to cyber threats.
• Phishing Attacks: Cybercriminals may send fraudulent emails or messages posing as campaign officials, media outlets, or government agencies. These emails often include malicious links that, once clicked, can steal sensitive information or install malware on devices.
• Fake News and Misinformation: Malicious actors can spread false information, including altered election results, fabricated candidate statements, or misleading narratives aimed at swaying voter decisions.

“Elections are not only a concern for candidates and their campaign teams. Ordinary citizens are also at risk of falling victim to cyberattacks, as cybercriminals often exploit personal information to spread disinformation, influence public opinion, and propagate fake news. That’s why it’s essential for everyone—not just organizations—to stay vigilant, be informed about potential cyber threats, and take steps to protect themselves online,” said Adrian Hia, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky.

Kaspersky urges individuals and organizations to be cautious and follow these cybersecurity tips to stay safe during the election period:

For Organizations:

1. Always keep software updated on all the devices to prevent attackers from exploiting vulnerabilities and infiltrating organization’s network.
2. Promptly install available patches for commercial VPN solutions providing access for remote employees and acting as gateways in your network.
3. Back up data regularly and ensuring they can be accessed quickly when needed or in an emergency.
4. Do not expose remote desktop/management services (such as RDP, MSSQL, etc.) to public networks unless absolutely necessary and always use strong passwords, two-factor authentication and firewall rules for them.
5. Monitor access and activity by having visibility over the network to spot any unusual activity, and controlling user access to as-need, and as-required basis to minimize risks of unauthorized access and data leak.
6. Educate employees and improve their cybersecurity literacy through tools such as Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform – Employees should be aware of the risks of cybersecurity threats and how to protect themselves and organization from them.
7. Consider subscribing to a managed service such as Kaspersky MDR if your company only has generalist IT admins who may lack the specialist skills required for expert-level detection and response solutions. This would instantly boost your security capabilities by an order of magnitude, while allowing you to focus on building in-house expertise.
8. Use solutions intended to help you manage your cybersecurity even without having an IT administrator on board for protection of very small businesses. Kaspersky Small Office Security provides you with hands-off security due to ‘install and forget’ protection and saves the budget which is crucial, particularly in the early stages of business development.

For Individuals:

1. Be cautious of suspicious emails, messages, or websites offering exclusive deals or freebies. Always verify the source before sharing personal or financial information.
2. Safeguard personal data like your address, phone number, or financial information on websites or social media, unless absolutely necessary. If you need to submit such information, make sure the platform is secure and legitimate by examining the website security certificate. Posting too much personal information online can make you a target for identity theft.
3. Verify that websites you visit are legitimate and have a secure connection by looking for “https://” in the URL and a padlock symbol in the address bar.
4. Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks as they are neither safe nor secure. When connected to a public network, your data is transferred unencrypted, meaning your personal details and sensitive information like logins, passwords and messages can be accessed and intercepted by malicious actors.
5. Use trusted security solutions like Kaspersky Premium with spam, phishing, and fraud protection can automatically detect and block threats in real time. It helps to safeguard online transactions and secure shopping accounts. As usage of mobile devices becomes a necessity, it is important to consider keeping them secure.
6. Trust reliable sources and official websites when looking for news. Be cautious of messages from unknown contacts or forwarded links on Viber, Messenger, or WhatsApp.
7. Be mindful of what you click. Think twice before clicking on any links or downloading attachments, even if they come from friends or family. Some scams involve hacking social media accounts and using them to send phishing links that appear trustworthy.
8. Stay up-to-date with software updates to ensure that all your devices, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets, have the latest software updates and patches installed. Outdated software can have vulnerabilities that cybercriminals exploit.

Kaspersky is committed to helping organizations and individuals understand and respond to new digital threats. The company offers comprehensive security solutions like Kaspersky Premium and Kaspersky Next XDR, which provide real-time protection against the latest cyber risks. These solutions give users peace of mind during this critical time.