Kaspersky Warns APAC of Rising AI-Powered Cyber Threats

MANILA – Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has issued an urgent call for Asia-Pacific (APAC) organizations to bolster their cyber defenses as artificial intelligence becomes a key weapon in the hands of cybercriminals.

At its Cyber Insights 2025 forum in Seoul, Kaspersky revealed that cyber threats are not only growing in volume but also evolving in complexity due to AI-driven attack methods.

In 2024 alone, Kaspersky detected over 3 billion malware attacks globally, with a staggering 467,000 malicious files identified daily.

Windows systems remain the most targeted, and Trojan activity surged 33% year-over-year, the company said.

Financial cybercrime also intensified, with a twofold increase in mobile financial malware victims and a spike in phishing campaigns aimed at cryptocurrency users.

Fake VPNs, malicious gaming tools, and deceptive apps targeting children also proliferated across the region.

Equally troubling, Kaspersky noted that 45% of passwords could now be cracked in under one minute, underscoring the urgent need for stronger authentication protocols.

However, it is the rise of AI misuse that Kaspersky considers the most pressing threat facing cybersecurity today.

“Cybercriminals are leveraging AI to create phishing content, develop malware, and even launch deepfake-based social engineering attacks,” said Vladislav Tushkanov, Manager of the Machine Learning Technology Research Group at Kaspersky.

He warned of threats specific to large language models (LLMs), such as prompt injection vulnerabilities, AI supply chain attacks, hallucinated outputs, and insecure access management.

Tushkanov revealed that Kaspersky researchers had found malicious AI models hosted in public repositories, a growing risk for organizations that integrate generative AI into workflows without adequate controls.

The forum also showcased how Security Operations Centers (SOCs) must adapt, with AI becoming both a threat and a necessary defense.

“AI is reshaping both the threat landscape and the defenses,” said Adrian Hia, Kaspersky’s Managing Director for Asia Pacific.

“To stay ahead, organizations need more than just tools—they need intelligent SOCs that combine automation, threat intelligence, and human expertise. At the end of the day, the winners in cybersecurity will be those who don’t just adopt AI, but secure it.”

Kaspersky recommends a multi-layered, AI-aware cybersecurity strategy for enterprises in APAC, including specialized security solutions to detect AI-generated malware, threat intelligence systems for AI-driven exploits, and access controls to prevent “shadow AI” usage by employees.

Shadow AI refers to the unauthorized use of AI tools that can lead to accidental data leaks or compliance breaches.

The company also emphasized the strategic value of establishing an in-house Security Operations Center, or SOC, to monitor, detect, analyze, and respond to threats in real time.

With a SOC, businesses can enhance their security posture, respond rapidly to breaches, and maintain operational continuity in the face of increasingly sophisticated attacks.

Kaspersky now offers consulting services to help organizations in APAC establish AI-ready SOCs based on global best practices and years of operational experience.

For more information, companies can visit Kaspersky’s official SOC consulting page at: https://www.kaspersky.com/enterprise-security/soc-consulting