Kaspersky H1 2026 Report: APAC Cyber Attacks Intensify, AI-Powered Supply Chain Threats Emerge
The cyber security landscape in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region showed very intense activity throughout the first half (H1) of 2026. Based on the latest data from the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN), a total of 75 million online attacks were successfully detected and blocked in the region during the period from January to June 2026.
Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) highlighted a shift in tactics by cyber criminals. Although some attack categories experienced fluctuations, threats such as backdoors and credential theft continued to dominate. In addition, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by hackers is making attacks faster, more adaptive, and harder to detect.
During the first six months of this year, Kaspersky successfully thwarted millions of infection attempts targeting both individuals and organisations.
Sergey Lozhkin, Head of Asia Pacific research at Kaspersky GReAT, warned that a decline in some categories does not mean the threat is weakening. “Cyber criminals are increasingly leveraging AI to automate reconnaissance and accelerate malware development,” he said.
Asia Pacific has now become a primary target for Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) groups. Of the 12 most frequently targeted countries globally, five are in APAC, namely China, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Vietnam. The region’s strategic position in digital transformation and AI agent adoption makes it a high-value target for cyber espionage.
Beyond APTs, attacks on the supply chain are becoming an increasingly tangible threat. Nearly one in three organisations globally reported a supply chain-related incident in the past year.
Dependence on open-source software also brings new risks. In 2025, Kaspersky detected 19,484 malicious packages, a 37% surge compared to the previous year. Detection of hacktools also increased 11% year-on-year.
To face increasingly sophisticated threats, Kaspersky advises organisations in Asia Pacific to take the following steps: implementing modern Security Operations Centres (SOCs) to address organisational blind spots, strengthening supply chain security protocols, and enhancing monitoring of open-source dependencies.