Microsoft has released the Asia Pacific findings of the latest edition of its Microsoft Security Endpoint Threat Report 2019. The report is an annual research document aimed at not only to identify cyber threats but also to build cyber resilience across the region. The findings of the report are based on extensive Microsoft data sources, which includes 8 trillion threat signals. Microsoft analyzed these signals covering a 12 month period from January to December 2019.
According to Microsoft Security Endpoint Threat Report 2019, there is a significant difference in the exposure to cyber threats between developed and developing countries. The report reveals that developing countries continue to remain vulnerable to threats despite the overall decrease in encounter rates across the region.
Commenting on the development, Mary Jo Schrade, Assistant General Counsel, Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit, Microsoft Asia disclosed that that as security defenses evolve, the attackers rely on new techniques. Microsoft’s unique access to billions of threat signals every day provides an ability to gather data and insights to inform the analytics among the global audience.
Schrade added that the report aims to create a better understanding of the evolving threat landscape. It will also help enterprise companies and organizations to enhance their cybersecurity posture by mitigating the effects of increasingly sophisticated attacks.
The Microsoft Security Endpoint Threat Report 2019 further reveals that malware and ransomware remain key cybersecurity challenges in developing markets. According to the report findings, Asia Pacific region continues to experience a higher-than-average encounter rate for malware and ransomware attacks.
This is 1.6 and 1.7 times higher when compared with the rest of the world despite a 23 and 29 percent overall decline across these two threat vectors when compared with the 2018 findings. The report reveals the fact that developing countries like India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka are vulnerable to malware and ransomware threats in 2019.
In a statement released to the press, Schrade disclosed that high malware encounters correlate with both piracy rates and overall cyber hygiene. It also includes regular patching and updating of software. The countries with higher piracy rates and lower cyber hygiene are prone to more severely impacted by cyber threats. You can decrease the invasion of malware and ransomware infections with the help of regular patching using legitimate software.
As per the Microsoft Security Endpoint Threat Report 2019, the countries with lower piracy rates and strong cyber hygiene practices have witnessed a significant decline in attacks. Technically, malware and ransomware threat encounter rates in Japan, New Zealand, and Australia are three to six times lower than the regional average. However, Microsoft advises all business establishments to remain vigilant.
According to Schrade, cybercriminals will not remain still and will continue to provoke systems globally. The report states that the adoption of cloud technology and the development of a comprehensive cyber resilience strategy is absolutely essential to secure our cyberspace.
Microsoft also outlined the role of Cryptocurrency mining in developing markets, the state of cybersecurity in the COVID-19 era including guidelines for individuals and businesses in the Microsoft Security Endpoint Threat Report 2019. We will examine them in detail in the next article.
