Consumers in Asia Pacific (APAC) are outpacing their global counterparts in digital adoption and are more aware of cybercrime risks, according to a new B2C Pulse Survey by Kaspersky Market Intelligence — even as mobile attacks in the region surge.

APAC consumers reported higher rates of online shopping (80 per cent versus a 71 per cent global average), digital finance use (72 per cent versus 70 per cent), digital entertainment (70 per cent versus 62 per cent) and digital communication (68 per cent versus 61 per cent). Concern about digital crime is also higher in the region, at 35 per cent versus 32 per cent globally, with awareness highest in Thailand at 39 per cent, followed by Malaysia, Indonesia, China, India and Vietnam.

“When 77% of APAC is online and digital wallets accounting for roughly 70% of online payments, cybersecurity is no longer optional. The region expects 2.11 billion mobile subscribers by 2030, which makes protecting personal data and financial transactions critical to sustaining trust in the region’s thriving digital economy,” said Choon Hong Chee, Head of Consumer Channel for APAC at Kaspersky.

Mobile attacks surge in Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Thailand

Kaspersky said it blocked nearly 30,000 mobile attacks against consumers across the region in the first quarter of 2026. India and Indonesia logged the highest raw volumes, with 18,187 and 15,163 incidents respectively. But the sharpest year-on-year growth was recorded elsewhere: Taiwan saw a 373 per cent jump, followed by Sri Lanka (132 per cent), Thailand (127 per cent), Bangladesh (108 per cent), China (69 per cent) and the Philippines (28 per cent).

“Unlike PCs, mobile phones are often not protected with the same level of security, despite increasingly becoming the gateway to our financial, social and professional lives. As cybercriminals follow this shift, the challenge is ensuring that mobile security evolves at the same pace as adoption,” Choon added.

Pushing security into the app itself

Kaspersky is pitching its Mobile Security SDK as a way for banks, retailers, government services and app developers to embed anti-phishing, malware detection and device reputation checks directly into their own applications, rather than relying on users to install separate security software. The company also offers a caller-identification SDK and Kaspersky Safe Web, a network-based DNS filtering tool for broadband and mobile ISPs.