Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky today reported that password stealers targeting Southeast Asian users increased 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2021.
In the Philippines alone, Kaspersky detected more than 10,000 additional passport theft, pushing the total to 55,597 versus 45,373 in the same period last year.
Password stealers are a type of malware that pilfers account information.
In essence, it is similar to a banking Trojan, but instead of intercepting or substituting entered data, it usually steals information already stored on the computer: usernames and passwords saved in the browser, cookies, and other files that happen to be on the hard drive of the infected device.
Overall, Kaspersky solutions have blocked 776,684 Trojans designed to steal accounts in Q1 2021, 155,942 more incidents compared with last year’s 620,742.
While Indonesia and Thailand registered a slight decrease, the remaining four SEA countries logged an uptick on password stealers detections.
Singapore registered the highest increase at 79% followed by Malaysia at 61%.
“It is known that Southeast Asia homes the most active social media users in the world. At the same time, the region is witnessing a massive digital shift at a breakneck speed," explained Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia.
"We are now 400-million-strong online consumers, a number predicted to happen not until 2025. Hence, it is expected that cybercriminals would be very interested to take over our virtual accounts brimming with financial and confidential data,” he warned.
“As we harness the power of technology and the internet, we urge everyone to strengthen their online locks regularly," Yeo advised.
"Like how we improve our security systems as our houses accumulate more assets, we should also be more thorough on how we secure our online properties as we store more data in it,” he added.
To secure accounts, one must update his password regularly, at least every 90 days. A password manager can assist you in remembering them
Set up two-factor authentication, so even if your login and password have been stolen, they will not be enough to access your account
Only download apps from trusted sources
Use a reliable security solution to identify stealers and stop them from getting one's data