Kaspersky held its annual Cybersecurity Weekend for Asia Pacific Countries recently in Sri Lanka, offering an overview of the latest cybersecurity developments and potential threats in the region. The event highlighted ransomware as a major threat, with the proliferation of AI adding complexity to cyberattacks. Leading cybersecurity experts, including journalists, CTOs, and executives, were provided with insights into the most pressing cybersecurity challenges, especially the risks associated with AI.
Adrian Hia, Managing Director of Kaspersky's APAC region, emphasized the need for organizations to adjust their cybersecurity posture, particularly concerning AI integration. He highlighted the importance of data compliance, cyber resiliency, and having a comprehensive incident response policy to ensure rapid recovery from attacks.
Igor Kuznetsov, Director of Kaspersky’s Global Research & Analysis Team (GReAT), noted that ransomware remains the most common global cybercrime, often facilitated by exploiting vulnerable applications and compromised credentials. He also warned of the growing threat of supply chain compromises, which often go undetected until after an attack has succeeded. The most frequently targeted industries include government entities, financial institutions, and manufacturing companies.
The summit also discussed AI's increasing role in cybercrime, particularly in enhancing social engineering attacks and coding malware. Alexey Antonov, Lead Data Scientist at Kaspersky, described how AI-related attacks are evolving, with some requiring advanced skills but others becoming accessible through public tools. Kaspersky is actively researching these threats to improve customer protection.
One of the most pressing issues raised was the potential impact of supply chain attacks on critical infrastructure. Vitaly Kamluk, a cybersecurity expert from GReAT, referenced a recent incident where an erroneous software update by Crowdstrike caused widespread disruptions, emphasizing the need for robust supply chain security. He also warned of the risks associated with manipulating AI models, which could lead to significant consequences similar to recent backdoor threats in widely used technologies like SSH.
Kaspersky stressed that organizations must have robust cyber resiliency plans, train staff against phishing, enforce best practices, and maintain updated threat intelligence by partnering with trusted cybersecurity providers to ensure comprehensive protection.
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