A recent study conducted by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has shed light on the prevalence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) implementation among businesses in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. According to the study, nearly two-thirds of companies in APAC have already integrated AI (61%) and IoT (64%) into their business infrastructure. In addition, a significant portion of businesses, 28% for AI and 26% for IoT, are planning to adopt these technologies within the next two years.
The widespread adoption of interconnected technologies such as AI and IoT has transformed business processes, allowing for increased data gathering and process automation. However, it also brings forth new challenges and risks in terms of cybersecurity. Experts warn that business owners must ensure they have robust cybersecurity solutions in place to safeguard their assets and customers.
Kaspersky‘s study, titled “Connecting the future of business,” aimed to understand how cybersecurity must adapt to the growing network of interconnected technologies. The survey involved 560 senior IT security leaders from various regions, including APAC, with 100 respondents from the APAC region.
The research focused on examining several interconnected technologies, including AI, IoT, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), digital twins, 6G, Web 3.0, and data spaces. Findings revealed that while AI and IoT are already widely used, with 61% and 64% adoption rates respectively, other technologies like digital twins, AR, VR, Web 3.0, and 6G have lower adoption rates but are being considered for integration by over 70% of surveyed companies.
Despite the benefits of AI and IoT, their widespread use has made them vulnerable to cyberattacks. The study highlighted that 13-14% of organizations in APAC consider AI and IoT as “very difficult” or “extremely difficult” to protect. Only a small percentage of AI users (6%) and IoT owners (10%) believe their companies are fully protected against cyber threats.
“Interconnected technologies bring immense business opportunities but they also usher in a new era of vulnerability to serious cyberthreats. With an increasing amount of data being collected and transmitted, cybersecurity measures must be strengthened. Enterprises must protect critical assets, build customer confidence amid the expanding interconnected landscape, and ensure there are adequate resources allocated to cybersecurity so they can use the new solutions to combat the incoming challenges of interconnected tech. Businesses integrating AI and IoT into their infrastructure need to protect it with Container Security and Extended Detection and Response solutions, to detect cyberthreats at early stages and provide effective defense,” according to Ivan Vassunov, VP, Corporate Products at Kaspersky.
Interestingly, the research indicated that less widely adopted technologies, such as AR/VR and 6G, pose greater cybersecurity challenges, with 40-51% of Asian companies finding them difficult to secure.
To address these cybersecurity challenges, Kaspersky recommends four effective strategies for organizations:
- Adopt secure-by-design principles to integrate cybersecurity into software and hardware development processes.
- Invest in training and upskilling the workforce to create a cyber-aware culture within the organization.
- Upgrade cybersecurity solutions and utilize centralized and automated platforms like Kaspersky Extended Detection and Response (XDR) to enhance threat detection and response capabilities.
- Ensure compliance with regulations to avoid legal and reputational consequences.