Kaspersky Lab’s latest data from Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) has uncovered more than four million web threats against Singapore Internet users last year. It also represents a more than 260% increase from the number of web threats detected in 2017. This places Singapore as the 157th most attacked country worldwide in terms of online infections in 2018.

 

The report also found out that almost a fifth (15.3%) of users in Singapore were almost infected by Internet-borne threats in 2018, compared to just 13.8% of users in 2017. Overall, Kaspersky Lab products detected a total of 4,610,966 web threats on the computers of KSN participants in the country. Majority (81.88%) of web threats for the past two years were detected from home users, while 18.12% were detected from business users.

 

“Compared with its neighbours in Southeast Asia, Singapore actually has the lowest number of online attacks last year, however, the increase on web threats blocked by Kaspersky Lab against Internet users here is still quite alarming. As a tech-savvy, a well-connected nation, and a rapidly developing business hub in the region, users in Singapore can be considered as lucrative targets for cybercriminals,” says Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager at Kaspersky Lab Southeast Asia.

 

“After the recent breaches that have plagued the nation, we hope that these fresh data will underscore the importance of keeping pace with the ever-evolving threats online and the priceless value of being one step ahead of cybercriminals. To best combat threats, companies and users should upgrade both their devices’ and networks’ technological solutions, and more importantly, the humans’ habits online,” adds Yeo.

 

Web-based threats are malware programs that can target someone while using the Internet. These browser-based threats include a range of malicious software programs that are designed to infect victims’ computers.

 

Web threats include drive-by download that refers to the unintentional download of malicious code to one’s computer or mobile device, leaving it open to a cyberattack. This infection can also be done through social engineering which involves tricking the human mind to download a legitimate-looking but infected program on a computer.

 

Internet-borne malware has been used to steal money and confidential data as well as to serve as launch pads for bigger attacks against large companies worldwide.

 

In addition, when a Kaspersky Lab customer is attacked by an online threat, KSN records the source of this threat – the location of the object detected by WebAntivirus component. Based on that data, the share of incidents caused by servers hosted in Singapore was 0.84% – that is 29,360,433 incidents in the period January-December 2018.

 

The country had the highest number of malicious hosting incidents across Southeast Asia. This was about a 254% increase from 8,274,533 detections in 2017.

 

In order to be secured against the evolving threats online, Kaspersky Lab security experts advise the following basic but important steps:

 

Carefully check the link before visiting a site, especially for misspelling or other irregularities, even if you think it’s a site you’ve visited regularly before.

Enter your username and password only over a secure connection. Avoid logging in to online banks and similar services via public Wi-Fi networks.

Be aware that URLs that begin with the “https” may not always be secure.

Don’t trust emails from unknown senders until you can verify the authenticity their origins.

Always run a system with a quality, up-to-date anti-malware program such as Kaspersky Internet Security. Our advanced solution will help you solve most of problems automatically and alert you if something went wrong