The Asia Pacific accounted for 23% of global cybersecurity incidents in 2023, according to the IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, underscoring that the region is more prone to cyber-attacks than the others.
The World Economic Forum tagged the region as the new "ground zero" for cybercrime incidents, citing research revealing that APAC had the highest year-over-year increase in weekly cyberattacks in the first quarter of 2023, with an average of 1,835 attacks per organisation, higher than the global average of 1,248 attacks per week.
Alex McMullan, CTO International at Pure Storage, cites several reasons, such as "the accelerated digital transformation taking place throughout the region while making organisations more connected, and also more vulnerable to cyber attacks."
He also noted the heavy concentration of manufacturing companies in Asia, making it a common target for cybercriminals. In recent years, Southeast Asia has risen as a global manufacturing hub and retains its attractiveness to global investment even with reshoring movement in other areas.
