Lessons In Cybersecurity From A Hotbed Of Digital Growth

By Johnny Wood

The Asia-Pacific region, home to two-thirds of the world’s population, is one of the fastest growing areas for digital technology and also a frequent target for cybercrime. In fact, according to Microsoft's Security Endpoint Threat Report 2019, the region experiences cyberattacks at a higher rate than the rest of the world.

As Asia Pacific moves to cloud-based systems and switches on connection-rich 5G telecommunications networks, network traffic is expected to grow, which presents even more opportunities for cybercriminals.

In such a diverse region, attitudes and approaches to digital security differ widely. But developing markets often see lower rates of cyber hygiene and more incidents of pirated software, leaving them vulnerable.

There’s no cure-all for outsmarting increasingly sophisticated cybercriminals, from lone operators to organized gangs to even state actors. However, there are ways to make systems robust and to minimize the threat digital criminals pose.

“Good digital hygiene is key. The vast majority of attacks use conventional ways to breach systems.” – Shinichi Yokohama, Chief Information Security Officer, NTT Corporation

The Digital Weapons Of Choice

Malware attacks, where malicious software cause damage to systems, are more frequent in the Asia-Pacific region than elsewhere, according to Microsoft's report. The same is true of ransomware strikes, where cybercriminals take hold of a computer system and demand money to return control to its owner. They’ve plagued the region, reaching more than 1.7 times the global average in 2018.

More recently, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks have become the digital weapons of choice for savvy cybercriminals. These incursions overload a system with huge traffic generated by maliciously controlled devices, in effect, paralyzing its operation and denying access to genuine users. NTT's Global Threat Intelligence Centre has experienced more DDoS attacks recently in Asia Pacific than any other region.

Prioritizing Detection Over Protection

The ISC Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2019 forecasts a growing global shortage of cybersecurity talent. So for many companies, a secure future rests on companies getting back to basics, while joining forces to defeat digital criminals.

"Good digital hygiene is key," says Shinichi Yokohama, NTT Corporation's Chief Information Security Officer. "The vast majority of attacks use conventional ways to breach systems, so raising awareness of simple digital security basics is a must."

Of course, attackers will try to find new, more sophisticated ways to penetrate digital defenses, but collaboration is the best defense. In particular, organizations in the Asia-Pacific region should focus on collaborating to detect cybercrime, rather than putting all their effort into protection.

"Rather than trying to completely prevent attacks happening, detecting threats early and removing them quickly is a more effective approach to staying cybersafe," says Eisaku Ito, executive vice president and Chief Technology Officer at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

"It's also important to put education programs in place to raise awareness of digital security among employees, so it becomes everyone's responsibility to keep systems safe. Proper and safe handling of social network services and chat messaging tools are good examples."

Initiatives like the Charter of Trust help the global cybersecurity community join forces to share best practices, raise awareness of good digital hygiene and security protocols, and identify new threats to quickly mitigate their impact.

About the author

Johnny Wood has been a journalist for over 15 years working in different parts of the world – Asia, Europe and Middle East. As well as an accomplished features writer he has edited several prestigious lifestyle magazines and corporate publications.