Philippines logs jump in crypto phishing attacks in 2022: Kaspersky data

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG={“cleanText”:”Philippines logs jump in crypto phishing attacks in 2022: Kaspersky data.u23f8Easy access to digital currencies is a surefire way to promote the adoption of emerging technologies in theu00a0Philippines, but it also contributed to a jump in online attacks as bad actors level with technological developments.u23f8Recent data compiled by cybersecurity firm Kasperskyu00a0showedu00a0an uptick in phishing attacks targeting digital currency users in the Philippines in 2022, with gaming platforms and “crypto” wallets a hotbed for such an illicit act.u23f8The Philippines posted a total of 24,737 attacks in 2022, up 169.93% from the previous year, making it the second “most attacked” country in Southeast Asia, following Vietnam, which registered over 64,000 phishing cases in the same period.u23f8In 2021, the Philippines reported 9,164 phishing attacks.u23f8Kaspersky Managing Director for Asia Pacific Adrian Hia said criminals behind these attacks useu00a0sophisticated methodsu00a0to lure unsuspecting victims, including sending links to emails and short messaging platforms that take users to a fake website when clicked and infiltrating devices with malwares.u23f8″Our monitoring shows that malware is spreading through legitimate channels, such as official marketplaces and ads in popular apps,” Hia said, adding that these malwares are now advanced, allowing suspects to monitor the move of their targets online, making it easier to steal their personal information and other details such as bank accounts.u23f8Apart from the Philippines, phishing attacks tied to digital currencies are also a growing concern in neighboring countries Indonesia and Malaysia, which tallied 24,642 and 16,767 phishing cases, respectively, in 2022.u23f8Despite the significant jump in phishing cases, Southeast Asia logged a decline in overall crypto-phishing detections last year at 147,649 from 164,330 the previous year.u23f8Vietnam, the country with the most phishing attacks in 2022, recorded a 15% decline in detections, only third to Singapore and Thailand, which registered a 74% and 51% slump in crypto-phishing detections, respectively.u23f8Figures released by Kaspersky showed an average of 400,003 new malicious files discovered daily in the region last year, an increase of 20,000 files from 2021.u23f8Hia said as countries inu00a0Southeast Asiau00a0continue to embrace the adoption of digital currencies, it is expected that bad actors will take advantage of this budding region and its young population to fatten their pockets with stolen assets.u23f8″Thus, we believe that adopters here should be more knowledgeable on the latest tricks being used by crypto phishers to keep their crypto assets safe,” he noted.u23f8Interests outweigh risksu23f8The Philippines suffered a huge blow whenu00a0Ronin Bridge was hackedu00a0in March 2022 after attackers from the notoriousu00a0Lazarus Groupu00a0were able to access the platform, affecting the popularu00a0play-to-earn gameu00a0Axie Infinity, which gained popularity during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.u23f8The North Korean hacking gang managed to steal $625 million worth of assets from the incident,u00a0leaving thousands of Filipino players in debt.u23f8But the massive crypto heist and regulators’ warning of the risks associated with investing in these assets did not wane Filipinos’u00a0interest in digital currencies.u23f8A recent global poll by private blockchain software tech firm Consensys showed that the Philippines has theu00a0highest digital currency awareness in the Asia Pacific.u23f8″With the Philippines, we saw the survey show that we actually have some of the highest awareness of cryptocurrencies. Ninety-six percent of respondents showed awareness of cryptocurrencies,” Consensys head of institutional marketing Nicole Adarmeu00a0toldu00a0local news outlet ABS-CBN News.u23f8The survey was participated by 15,158 people aged 18-65 in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.u23f8Adarme also noted increased familiarity withu00a0Web3u00a0terms, such asu00a0metaverseu00a0andu00a0non-fungible tokensu00a0(NFTs), among Filipinos.u23f8And with the booming market, over 58% of Filipino respondents are taking an interest in investing in digital currencies over the next 12 months.u23f8Recognizing the growing adoption of digital assets, the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recentlyu00a0announcedu00a0plans to impose stringent regulations in the market in an effort to heighten consumer protection.u23f8Watch: eGov super app opens the best opportunities for Philippinesu23f8″,”headlineText”:”Philippines logs jump in crypto phishing attacks in 2022: Kaspersky data”,”articleText”:”Easy access to digital currencies is a surefire way to promote the adoption of emerging technologies in theu00a0Philippines, but it also contributed to a jump in online attacks as bad actors level with technological developments.u23f8Recent data compiled by cybersecurity firm Kasperskyu00a0showedu00a0an uptick in phishing attacks targeting digital currency users in the Philippines in 2022, with gaming platforms and “crypto” wallets a hotbed for such an illicit act.u23f8The Philippines posted a total of 24,737 attacks in 2022, up 169.93% from the previous year, making it the second “most attacked” country in Southeast Asia, following Vietnam, which registered over 64,000 phishing cases in the same period.u23f8In 2021, the Philippines reported 9,164 phishing attacks.u23f8Kaspersky Managing Director for Asia Pacific Adrian Hia said criminals behind these attacks useu00a0sophisticated methodsu00a0to lure unsuspecting victims, including sending links to emails and short messaging platforms that take users to a fake website when clicked and infiltrating devices with malwares.u23f8″Our monitoring shows that malware is spreading through legitimate channels, such as official marketplaces and ads in popular apps,” Hia said, adding that these malwares are now advanced, allowing suspects to monitor the move of their targets online, making it easier to steal their personal information and other details such as bank accounts.u23f8Apart from the Philippines, phishing attacks tied to digital currencies are also a growing concern in neighboring countries Indonesia and Malaysia, which tallied 24,642 and 16,767 phishing cases, respectively, in 2022.u23f8Despite the significant jump in phishing cases, Southeast Asia logged a decline in overall crypto-phishing detections last year at 147,649 from 164,330 the previous year.u23f8Vietnam, the country with the most phishing attacks in 2022, recorded a 15% decline in detections, only third to Singapore and Thailand, which registered a 74% and 51% slump in crypto-phishing detections, respectively.u23f8Figures released by Kaspersky showed an average of 400,003 new malicious files discovered daily in the region last year, an increase of 20,000 files from 2021.u23f8Hia said as countries inu00a0Southeast Asiau00a0continue to embrace the adoption of digital currencies, it is expected that bad actors will take advantage of this budding region and its young population to fatten their pockets with stolen assets.u23f8″Thus, we believe that adopters here should be more knowledgeable on the latest tricks being used by crypto phishers to keep their crypto assets safe,” he noted.u23f8Interests outweigh risksu23f8The Philippines suffered a huge blow whenu00a0Ronin Bridge was hackedu00a0in March 2022 after attackers from the notoriousu00a0Lazarus Groupu00a0were able to access the platform, affecting the popularu00a0play-to-earn gameu00a0Axie Infinity, which gained popularity during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.u23f8The North Korean hacking gang managed to steal $625 million worth of assets from the incident,u00a0leaving thousands of Filipino players in debt.u23f8But the massive crypto heist and regulators’ warning of the risks associated with investing in these assets did not wane Filipinos’u00a0interest in digital currencies.u23f8A recent global poll by private blockchain software tech firm Consensys showed that the Philippines has theu00a0highest digital currency awareness in the Asia Pacific.u23f8″With the Philippines, we saw the survey show that we actually have some of the highest awareness of cryptocurrencies. Ninety-six percent of respondents showed awareness of cryptocurrencies,” Consensys head of institutional marketing Nicole Adarmeu00a0toldu00a0local news outlet ABS-CBN News.u23f8The survey was participated by 15,158 people aged 18-65 in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.u23f8Adarme also noted increased familiarity withu00a0Web3u00a0terms, such asu00a0metaverseu00a0andu00a0non-fungible tokensu00a0(NFTs), among Filipinos.u23f8And with the booming market, over 58% of Filipino respondents are taking an interest in investing in digital currencies over the next 12 months.u23f8Recognizing the growing adoption of digital assets, the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recentlyu00a0announcedu00a0plans to impose stringent regulations in the market in an effort to heighten consumer protection.u23f8Watch: eGov super app opens the best opportunities for Philippinesu23f8″,”metadata”:{“author”:”Ana Peligro”},”pluginVersion”:”5.7.1″};