Ranking and Statistics
The Philippines now ranks 5th in Kaspersky’s global ranking of countries with the highest number of detected Internet-borne attacks, with nearly seven million or 37.4% of Kaspersky users in the Philippines being attempted to be attacked by threats while surfing the Web from April to May this year.
| Ranking | Country | Percentage of Kaspersky Users Attacked |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algeria | 44.1% |
| 2 | Nepal | 43% |
| 3 | Albania | 40.1% |
| 4 | Djibouti | 37.9% |
| 5 | The Philippines | 37.4% |
Attack Methods
The statistics in the report are based on completely anonymous data obtained from Kaspersky products installed on users’ computers in the Philippines. Kaspersky revealed that its users in the Philippines were attacked by cyber criminals through the popular attack method called drive-by download.
- A drive-by download attack requires no action on the part of the Internet user.
- Once in an infected website, the user’s computer or device gets infected automatically, and silently, particularly if the computer is vulnerable in some way.
- Such attacks can happen when a Web surfer visits a website that he/she didn’t know was infected.
- Drive-by download attacks require no action from the user, making them a particularly insidious threat.
Other Attack Methods
Another technique that cyber criminals use to attempt to attack computers and devices of Philippine-based Kaspersky users is social engineering. In this method, cyber criminals convince an unsuspecting user into sending to them their confidential data, infecting their computers with malware or opening links to infected websites.
- Cyber criminals use social engineering to trick users into divulging sensitive information.
- They may also use phishing emails, fake social media messages, or other forms of social engineering to infect computers and devices.
- Social engineering attacks are a common way for cyber criminals to gain access to sensitive information.
Awareness and Education
Kaspersky noted a minor increase in cyberthreat incidents caused by servers hosted in the Philippines. About 67,000 or 15% more incidents were recorded from April-June this year compared to the same quarter in 2018. These figures placed the Philippines at 34th this year from 36th in 2018.
- Kaspersky products detected and blocked about 13 million local incidents on computers of Filipino users in this period.
- The Philippines ranked 65th worldwide in terms of local threats.
Local Threats
Local threats or incidents are those that are caused by malware spread via removable media such as USB drives, CDs and DVDs, and other “offline” methods.
- Local threats can occur when a user connects their device to an infected device or downloads a malicious file from an infected website.
- These types of threats are less common than drive-by download attacks, but can still cause significant damage.
Expert Insights
“The targeted Kaspersky users are about nine percent of the total Internet users in the Philippines today which, from a cyber security point of view, is a big number and is worth paying attention to,” said Yeo Siang Tiong, general manager for Kaspersky Southeast Asia.
“Like it is a known fact that when one buys a new smartphone, he or she will buy a protective case or some accessories, but not an Internet security solution,” said Yeo Siang Tiong, general manager for Kaspersky Southeast Asia.
The 18-34 years old age bracket accounts for 63% of users this year compared to only 41.7% in 2018.
Need for Awareness and Education
On social media alone, the 18-34 years old age bracket account for 63% of users this year compared to only 41.7% in 2018. And with recent data that says each Internet user now owns an average of 10 social media accounts, we need to be resolute in our push to have every person using the Internet to learn how to actively safeguard his or her data. “We can still point at the general carelessness and lack of online security awareness among our Filipino Internet users,” said Yeo Siang Tiong, general manager for Kaspersky Southeast Asia.
“On social media alone, the 18-34 years old age bracket accounts for 63% of users this year, compared to only 41.7% in 2018. And with recent data that says each Internet user now owns an average of 10 social media accounts, we need to be resolute in our push to have every person using the Internet to learn how to actively safeguard his or her data,”
Call to Action
To address the alarming rate of cyber attacks, it is essential for individuals and organizations to take proactive measures to improve their online security awareness. With Kaspersky’s expertise and guidance, the Philippines can work towards reducing its ranking in the list of countries with the highest number of detected Internet-borne attacks. “We urge all individuals and organizations to take immediate action to protect themselves from cyber threats,” said Yeo Siang Tiong, general manager for Kaspersky Southeast Asia.
“We urge all individuals and organizations to take immediate action to protect themselves from cyber threats,”
Conclusion
The Philippines is taking a significant step in recognizing the importance of cybersecurity awareness in today’s digital age. By acknowledging the high ranking in Kaspersky’s list, the country is now more determined to take proactive measures to improve its online security. With the expertise of Kaspersky, the Philippines can work towards reducing its ranking and becoming a safer digital nation.
