The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region accounted for 34% of all incidents examined by IBM’s X-Force Incident Response team in 2024, making it the most targeted region in the world for cyberattacks. The results, which are included in IBM’s yearly 2025 Threat Intelligence Index, highlight APAC Cyberattacks increasing susceptibility in light of its growing digital footprint and crucial position in global supply chains.
APAC’s Strategic Importance Draws Threat Actors
Because of its status as a center for industry and technology and its incorporation into international supply chains, the area has become a popular target for hacktivists, nation-state actors, and cybercriminals. The exposure to cyber risk has increased as APAC countries seek to speed up their digital transformation in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and finance.
According to IBM X-Force researchers, APAC Cyberattacks saw a 13% year-over-year increase in cyberattacks in 2024 alone, overtaking North America (24%) and Europe (24%), to become the most attacked area.
“Japan accounted for a staggering 66% of all APAC cyberattacks incidents investigated,” the report states, followed by countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, and Thailand.
Key APAC Cyberattacks Vectors
1. Public-Facing Applications (18%)
The majority of early incursions were caused by flaws in services that were accessible over the internet. Unpatched or inadequately secured web applications were actively abused by threat actors, particularly in manufacturing and energy companies.
2. External Remote Services (45%)
The over-reliance on technologies for remote access turned become a liability. Attackers used remote desktop protocols (RDP), virtual private networks (VPNs), and other services to gain access as businesses embraced cloud platforms and hybrid work models.
3. Valid Account Usage
Using credentials that have been compromised is still a widespread practice. Attackers increasingly “logged in” using credentials they had taken from dark web marketplaces or infostealer malware rather than breaking in. This covert strategy gets over conventional perimeter defenses.
Top Industries Targeted by APAC Cyberattacks
1. Manufacturing – 40%
In Asia-Pacific, the manufacturing sector continues to be the most targeted industry. It has become a prime target due to its complicated supply networks, sensitive intellectual property, and legacy technologies. The most popular strategies were exploiting server access, ransomware implementation, and credential harvesting.
2. Finance and Insurance – 16%
Financial institutions have to contend with a flurry of malware and credential phishing attempts aimed at stealing private information. Attackers prioritized sustained access to high-value systems and reconnaissance.
3. Transportation – 11%
This sector witnessed a noticeable rise in attacks, with threat actors aiming to disrupt logistics and operational continuity. The reliance on external remote services rendered it particularly vulnerable.
Top Threat Impacts in APAC
APAC cyberattacks often aim to both disrupt operations and monetize stolen data. Key impacts include:
- Data Theft (12%): Threat actors prioritized stealing client records, trade secrets, and confidential data.
- Credential Harvesting (10%): By utilizing infostealer software to gather login credentials, the attackers made follow-on attacks possible.
- Extortion (10%): While ransomware remains the primary method, attackers are also using stolen data to extort victims without encrypting systems, a growing trend known as non-encrypting extortion.
Rise of Infostealers and Cloud Abuse
According to IBM’s research, infostealer malware distributed through phishing emails has significantly increased by 84% year over year. These were frequently dispersed via cloud-hosted infrastructure in APAC, which made detection more difficult.
The misuse of reputable cloud hosting companies, such as Microsoft Azure, by hackers to host phishing websites and payloads is among the most alarming trends in APAC Cyberattacks. Traditional malware attachments have been replaced with PDF files with disguised URLs, which get around many outdated detection programs.
Nation-State Actors in the Region
Advanced persistent threat (APT) organizations, including those connected to nation-states, have also boosted their activity, according to the report. Notably, pre-positioning attacks against vital infrastructure sectors in APAC and the US, including as energy, transportation, and telecommunications, have been connected to the China-attributed Volt Typhoon gang.
In addition to stealing data, these attackers may also try to interfere with vital services in the event of a geopolitical crisis.
Why APAC Is at Risk
APAC is a prime target for sophisticated cyberattacks for a few reasons:
- Varying degrees of IT maturity in different nations.
- Cloud and AI technologies are being adopted quickly without appropriate security measures.
- Numerous small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) have cybersecurity plans that are underfunded.
- APT groups are drawn to high-value geopolitical and economic targets.
The Road Ahead: Recommendations to Resist APAC Cyberattacks
To counter these evolving threats, IBM recommends that organizations in APAC:
- Adopt a Zero Trust Architecture: Consider all attempts at access, whether internal or external, as potentially hostile.
- Segment Networks: Use role-based access controls and network segmentation to restrict opportunities for lateral movement.
- Invest in AI-Powered Threat Detection: Make use of AI to keep an eye out for unusual behavior and more precisely identify phishing attempts.
- Protect the Cloud: Put cloud workload protection techniques into place and make sure cloud setups are hardened.
- Public-facing applications should have regular vulnerability scans and patches applied, particularly for known vulnerabilities that are being actively exploited (e.g., CVE-2024-21762 and CVE-2024-3400).
Final Thoughts
APAC is under siege, according to the IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2025. Cybercriminals and nation-state actors have additional chances as firms become increasingly digitally connected. Cybersecurity must change from being a reactive role to a proactive and strategic necessity as threat actors become more coordinated and use AI-driven tools to resist APAC Cyberattacks.
The security of the digital revolution must become a top priority for APAC countries as they proceed on their journey. Inaction now might jeopardize not only data but also the region’s economies’ operating foundation.