Data Leaks Caused by Cyberattacks and Employee Negligence Are Top Security Concerns in APAC

A recent survey conducted by Kaspersky IT Security Economics reveals that the most worrying security issues for small to medium-sized businesses and enterprises in the Asia Pacific region are data leakages caused by cyberattacks (29%) and employee negligence (25%). As digitalization leads to the sharing and storing of vast amounts of data online, concerns about data protection have led to a decline in business confidence. Loss or exposure of corporate and customer information from data breaches is the most challenging aspect of IT security for 59% of respondents from organizations of all sizes. Respondents were also concerned about the cost of securing complex technology environments and issues with cloud infrastructure adoption.

Graph 1: Which of the following do you regard as the most concerning business issues related to IT security in your organization?

For APAC respondents, the most concerning security challenges were data leakage from internal systems caused by cyberattacks and employee negligence. Security incidents affecting IT infrastructure hosted by third parties and managing security across different computing platforms were also concerning. The interconnectedness of businesses in APAC drives executives to prefer outsourcing and managed services to identify vulnerabilities in internal IT systems.

To minimize the risk of attacks and data breaches, Kaspersky recommends using endpoint protection with a proven track record, managed protection services, and cybersecurity awareness training to reduce incidents caused by employees. Given that data protection is now the most alarming business security issue, companies in APAC attach considerable importance to transparency policies of their suppliers and contractors. 98% of those surveyed consider transparency policies important for going into business with a supplier or contractor, and 91% are ready to invest in developing their transparency policies further.

To help SMBs and midrange enterprises beef up their cybersecurity capabilities, Kaspersky in Southeast Asia has launched a Buy 1 Free 1 promo for two years of enterprise-grade endpoint protection with 24×7 phone support. Businesses can choose between Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business or Cloud or Kaspersky Endpoint Detection and Response Optimum.

The full report “IT Security Economics 2022” is available for download, and businesses can visit the Kaspersky Calculator to gain more insights about IT security costs and budgets in 2022.