While mobile malware posted a dip of 54% from 34,010 in 2021 to 15,372 in 2022, cybersecurity solutions company Kaspersky warns that cybercriminals may just be employing different attack strategies. 

Based on Kaspersky’s data, only Singapore, among Southeast Asian countries, is not included in the downward trend in mobile malware.

“Our monitoring shows that malware is increasingly spreading through legitimate channels such as official marketplaces and ads in popular apps,” said Adrian Hia, managing director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky. “This is true for both scam apps and dangerous mobile banking malware. It is a positive sign that people are now aware of cyber threats but awareness is not enough — it should ideally lead to action.”

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Hia also noted that cybercriminals are now moving into cryptocurrency phishing with the Philippines experiencing attacks of 24,737 last year second to Vietnam with 64,080 attacks. In April, Kaspersky reported an uptick of 40% in cryptocurrency phishing in SEA. 

Emerging threats

Aside from crypto-phishing, the emerging threats include advanced stealers targeting accounts of popular online gaming platforms and stalkerware that enables a perpetrator to secretly spy on another person’s private life via a mobile device.

While it is good news that the level of awareness in terms of security continues to increase, only a few are acting on it. In Kaspersky’s study in 2021, 70% of device users in SEA believe that a security solution is needed to protect their phones from cyberattacks. However, only 26% admitted installing security solutions on their devices. 

To address this, Kaspersky has rebranded and simplified its security solutions offering them in three different price points. The updated range of plans (Kaspersky Standard, Kaspersky Plus, and Kaspersky Premium) is now platform agnostic, each of which provides protection for different types of devices on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. These are all designed to reflect the level of functionality available to users across the entire ecosystem of the company’s consumer services. 

The new products retail for P690, P890, and P1,380, respectively, for a one-year license for one device. These are now available in all leading IT retail stores nationwide as well as in Lazada and Shopee.