Kaspersky: 87% of APAC SMBs Hit by Cyberattacks — How SYSD Can Help Your Business Respond

A new global Kaspersky survey of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with fewer than 500 employees in Asia-Pacific found that 87% of respondents experienced at least one cyber incident in the past year, highlighting how SMBs are increasingly becoming a primary target for cybercriminals.

Key survey findings

The most damaging incidents were theft of customer personal data (25%), temporary disruption of customer-facing services such as websites and online stores (23%), and theft of employee personal data (23%).
The most damaging threat types were software vulnerability exploits (10%), mass malware attacks (7%), and remote access from outside the organization (7%).
Irreversible impacts included financial loss (21%), unrecoverable data loss (21%), and irreversible damage to company property (13%).
What attackers target: customer personal data (34%), sensitive internal data such as financial records and legal documents (31%), employee personal data (27%), and blocking employees or customers from accessing online resources (23%).
The most targeted departments were IT security (52%) and IT (51%), followed by customer service (22%) and accounting and finance (20%).

After incidents, Asia-Pacific companies prioritized IT security monitoring solutions, cloud security controls, and stricter third-party compliance requirements (24% each), followed by specialized training for IT staff, endpoint security on all employee devices, password policy changes, and multi-factor authentication (22% each).

Why this matters for your business

Although the survey focuses on SMBs, its conclusions apply to businesses of any size that store customer and employee data or run online services that must stay available. A single incident can leak sensitive information, interrupt operations, and erode customer trust.

Notably, unpatched software vulnerabilities and remote access remain common entry points for attackers. These risks are often addressed through a systematic set of basic controls, not just antivirus software.

How SYSD can strengthen your defenses

Firewall — Install and maintain firewalls to control inbound and outbound traffic, separate critical networks, and block unauthorized connections.
Monitoring and log — Collect event logs from network devices and servers, alert on suspicious behavior, and provide reports for audits and incident investigations.
Endpoint protection and antivirus — Deploy and manage antivirus and anti-malware software on every employee device, with regular signature and patch updates.
VPN — Set up encrypted remote access for employees, with controlled permissions to internal systems.

Cybersecurity is not solely an IT department issue. It requires the right technology, strong security awareness, and consistent cyber hygiene across the organization. SYSD IT SOLUTIONS can assess your environment and design protection that fits your business.

"Got IT problems? Let SYSD take care of it."

Source: Daily News — Kaspersky survey on cyberattacks finds personal data theft causes the greatest damage