Cybercriminals increasingly prey on small firms

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly being targeted by cybercriminals, who exploit them for supply chain attacks or demand a ransom for their data.

- SUCHIT LEESA-NGUANSUK

The primary targets of cyber-attacks have expanded from large enterprises to include SMEs.

"Cyberthreats are becoming increasingly complex and diverse," AVM Amorn Chomchoey, secretary-general of the National Cyber Security Agency, said at a recent seminar on cybersecurity.

Attack techniques continue to evolve, including Ransomware-as-a-Service, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven phishing, and supply chain attacks, he said.

Hacker groups now function like organised businesses, pursuing clear objectives and long-term strategies.

The primary targets of cyber-attacks have expanded from large enterprises to include SMEs, shifting from personal data to critical infrastructure systems such as energy, healthcare, finance and banking, industry, and transport and logistics.

Moreover, AI systems are increasingly used to detect abnormal behaviour and potential threats.

Hackers are also leveraging AI for more realistic and convincing attacks, such as deepfakes and phishing, AVM Amorn said.

A study by Accenture on cybercrime revealed nearly 43% of cyber-attacks target small businesses. However, only 14% of small businesses are adequately prepared to respond to such attacks.