Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has revealed alarming statistics concerning cyber threats faced by businesses in Southeast Asia (SEA), with a staggering 61 million Brute Force attacks thwarted in 2023.
Throughout the span of January to December last year, Kaspersky’s B2B products successfully intercepted and neutralized 61,374,948 instances of Bruteforce.Generic.RDP.* attacks targeting companies across the region.
Brute Force attacks represent a malicious method employed by cybercriminals to breach passwords or encryption keys, systematically attempting all possible character combinations until the correct one is found. In the case of Bruteforce.Generic.RDP.* attacks, threat actors aim to gain unauthorized access to systems through Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) logins.
RDP, Microsoft’s proprietary protocol facilitating remote computer access, is a favored target due to its widespread usage by system administrators and less-technical users. Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand reported the highest number of RDP attacks, with Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia also experiencing significant threats.
Adrian Hia, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky, emphasized the severity of these attacks, particularly amidst the proliferation of third-party data services, remote work setups, and potentially vulnerable network connections. He cautioned against underestimating the threat, highlighting the potential for financial and reputational harm once attackers gain unauthorized access to corporate systems.
To mitigate the risks associated with RDP usage, Hia recommended several protective measures, including the implementation of strong passwords, restricting RDP access to corporate VPNs, enabling Network Level Authentication (NLA), and deploying two-factor authentication where possible. For non-RDP users, disabling the service and closing port 3389 were advised.
Additionally, businesses were urged to bolster their security posture with robust endpoint and network security solutions like Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business. Kaspersky also offers an integrated software solution, the Kaspersky Unified Monitoring and Analysis Platform (KUMA), designed to enhance security incident monitoring and management capabilities.
As cyber threats continue to evolve in sophistication, proactive measures are essential for safeguarding businesses against the ever-present risk of cyber attacks.
