KUALA LUMPUR (April 16): Malaysian businesses recorded a sharp rise in ransomware activity last year, with attempts increasing by 153% year on year, according to cybersecurity firm Kaspersky.

Ransomware, as the name suggests, is malicious software designed to block access to a computer system or encrypt its data until a sum of money (a ransom) is paid.

In a statement on Wednesday, the digital privacy company said that there were a total of 12,643 ransomware cases in Malaysia in 2024, representing a jump from the 4,982 incidents recorded in 2023.

In March, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim revealed that the digital system of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd was attacked by hackers demanding a ransom payment of US$10 million (RM44.39 million).

The number of attacks on Malaysian businesses paled in comparison to those suffered by businesses in Southeast Asia as a whole, with a total of 135,274 ransomware attacks targeting businesses across Southeast Asia between January and December last year.

These attacks included breaches targeting a national data centre, a postal service provider, a government portal for foreign workers and organisations in the retail sector.

Kaspersky noted that ransomware groups continue to evolve their strategies, exploiting known software vulnerabilities and deploying sophisticated tools such as Meterpreter and Mimikatz to gain unauthorised access to systems.

The ongoing threat reinforces the need for robust cybersecurity defences as adversaries continue to exploit even the most familiar vulnerabilities, said Kaspersky’s Asia Pacific managing director Adrian Hia.

To reduce the risk of ransomware attacks, Kaspersky recommends that individuals and organisations prioritise cybersecurity, regularly update software and systems, and conduct routine penetration tests and vulnerability scans.

Founded in 1997, Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company.