PH posts highest number of phishing in SEA — study
The Philippines records the highest number of phishing attempts in Southeast Asia (SEA), with seven in 10 (68.95%) targeting finance-related transactions from February to April 2022, said cybersecurity firm Kaspersky.
In a study, the country’s payment systems — such as credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payment apps or e-wallets — accounted for one in two (58.50%) of those phishing attempts.
Kaspersky General Manager for Southeast Asia Yeo Siang Tiong revealed that the rise of ‘Super Apps’ in the region and the increased adoption of digital transactions are making cybercrimes worse.
Super Apps are mobile applications that combine all popular monetary functions, including e-banking, mobile wallets, online shopping, insurance, travel bookings, and even investments.
Tiong warned that “putting our data and digital money in one basket can trigger an aftermath snowball, with the impact of a phishing attack swelling at an unforeseeable rate.”
The Philippines surpassed the recorded phishing attempts in Indonesia (65.90%), Singapore (55.67%), Thailand (55.63%), Malaysia (50.58%), and Vietnam (36.12%).
On the other hand, the report also showed that the Philippines recorded the lowest percentage of phishing attempts in local banks at only 2.17%, and the second-lowest phishing attempts versus e-commerce shops at 8.28%among SEA countries.
