Speaking at the annual Kaspersky APAC Cyber Security Weekend themed Secure Your Digital Reputation, Vitaly Kamluk, Director of Global Research and Analysis Team of Asia Pacific, Kaspersky said that it is important to identify between honest mistakes and failures when reputation is concerned.
According to Kaspersky’s targeted ransomware statistics, at least 61 entities in APAC were breached in 2020. The industries involved in descending order are Light industry, Public Services, Media and Technology, Heavy industry, Consulting, Finance, and Logistics.
Since January 2019, the ransomware attacks were on a declining order but reached a peak of above 20 million in July 2020.
“So, when you deal with ransomware attacks, you need to detect the attack, get a backup, and report to the police,” he advised.
He also mentioned that there is a high possibility of facing many threats next year which will be focusing on the Covid-19 vaccine.
“Previously, it was the survival of the fittest, now it is the survival of the honest,” he emphasised.
Supporting him, Rafizah Amran, Deputy Chief Communication & Marketing Officer for Group Strategic Communications & Marketing Division at Prasarana Malaysia said that an organisation should follow the open door policy.
According to Rafizah, the positive media value for Prasarana is RM316.8 million and the customer experience satisfaction rating scored 84.2 percent.
She then announced that the Prasarana journey planner app, a real-time bus tracking system will be launched soon.
The app aims to encourage the public to use public transportation and inform the passengers about the bus service, as well as immediately make a complaint.
Additionally, Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for SEA, Kaspersky shared about a survey titled Making Sense of Our Place in the Digital Reputation Economy. The survey was conducted on 1, 240 working professionals and active social media users aged 18-65 years old.
Some of the findings from the survey conducted by YouGov for Kaspersky are as follows:
- 35 percent of social media users in SEA have anonymous accounts.
- Reasons for anonymous accounts
- Express secret interests they want to hide from their online friends (49 percent)
- Exercise freedom of speech without affecting their reputation (48 percent)
- Disagree with someone or a news online without using their real identity (36 percent)
- Share information about their favourite artists or interests (29 percent)
- Stalk someone online (23 percent)
- 3 percent chose other reasons such as online selling, online purchasing without family or friends’ knowledge, avoid getting bashed by people they know, alternate account for online games, enter giveaways without being judged, and avoid being attacked by cybercriminals.
- 5 in 10 check the social media accounts of a brand/company before purchasing or getting their services.
- Implications of companies’ digital reputation (51 percent said companies’ digital reputation is important)
- 51 percent will not use or buy a product from a brand or company involved in a scandal or negative news online
- 41 percent said the reputation of the brand’s endorsers (influencers) affect their view of the brand
- 36 percent have stopped using products/services from a company involved in a scandal or negative news online
- 50 percent of respondents think companies should not delete negative comments on their social media accounts
He then advised the public to be mindful towards the repercussions of their posts online, be extra careful when sharing something personal online, and be secured and ensure holistic security solutions are in place.
