Kaspersky reported that the Philippines ranked fourth globally regarding web threat attacks in 2023, dropping from its second-place ranking in 2022.
The latest report from Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) showed positive developments in the country, but there are two compelling reasons to maintain security measures.
According to the cybersecurity company, the first reason is that the country is progressing in its cybersecurity landscape. Another reason is that cybercriminals are using less detectable attack methods. This is done by consistently relying on targeted attacks.
Web or online threats are attacks through browsers, which are also cybercriminals’ tried and tested ways to spread malware. It can quickly be done with or without the involvement of the victim.
A web attack involving the victim is typically carried out through social engineering. This involves tricking the victim into performing an action that puts their personal security or the organization they work for at risk. The main goal is to get the victim to respond by clicking on an infected email attachment, accessing a compromised website, or responding to a fake unsubscribe notice, among other methods.
A drive-by download is another common method used in web attacks. It involves infecting a user’s device through a compromised website without the user’s knowledge if they haven’t updated their app’s security.
In the recent global ranking, the Philippines ranked lower than Mongolia (51.8%), Moldova (48.9%), and Greece (48.8%). However, the country has consistently ranked in the top 10 countries since 2019.
Among Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines is apparently the top one. But interestingly enough, it has a lower percentage of web-borne threat attacks on users compared to Malaysia.
“Cybercriminals continue to develop their tools and techniques. They actually surprise cybersecurity experts all the time. Our mindset should be how to be able to hunt threats before they could cause harm and damage. At this point, I recommend that we should be talking more about threats as we proactively learn to detect and respond to them. This is where threat intelligence comes in handy,” shared Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.
To stay protected, Kaspersky recommends users the following:
- Do not download and install applications from untrusted sources
- Do not click on any links from unknown sources or suspicious online advertisements
- Create strong and unique passwords, including a mix of lower case and upper case letters, numbers, and punctuation, as well as activating two-factor authentication
- Always install updates
- Ignore messages asking to disable security systems for office or cybersecurity solution
- Use a robust cybersecurity solution appropriate to your system type and devices
For organizations, Kaspersky recommends the following:
- Always keep software updated on all the devices to prevent attackers from infiltrating network by exploiting vulnerabilities
- Use strong passwords to access corporate services. Use multi-factor authentication for access to remote services
- Choose a proven endpoint cybersecurity solution for business that is equipped with behaviors-based detection and anomaly control capabilities for effective protection against known and unknown threats
- Use dedicated set of effective endpoint protection, threat detection and response products to timely detect and remediate even new and evasive threats
- Use the latest threat intelligence information to empower your security experts
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