COUNT
Nearly 2 in 10 in APAC embrace digital payments during pandemic

IS cash still king in the Asia Pacific?Kaspersky’s recent study showed it still is, but may not be for long.Titled “Mapping a secure path for the future of digital payments in APAC”, the research studied local users’ interactions with the available online payments in the region and examined their attitudes towards them, which hold the key to understanding the factors that will further drive or stem the adoption of this technology.One of its key findings showed that a great majority (90%) of the Asian respondents has used mobile payment apps at least once in the past 12 months, confirming the fintech boom in the region. Nearly 2 in 10 (15%) of which only started using these platforms after the pandemic.The Philippines logged the highest percent of new e-cash adopters at 37%, followed by India (23%), Australia (15%), Vietnam (14%), Indonesia (13%), and Thailand (13%). The lowest number of first-time online payment users are China (5%), South Korea (9%), and Malaysia (9%).China has been a notable leader in mobile payments in APAC. Even before the pandemic, its top local platforms, Alipay and WeChat Pay, have witnessed significant mass adoption and served as an example to follow for other Asian countries.“Data from our fresh research showed that cash is still king, at least for now, in APAC with 70% of the respondents still using physical notes for their day-to-day transactions. However, mobile payment and mobile banking applications are not far behind with 58% and 52% users utilizing these platforms at least once a week up to more than once a day for their finance-related tasks. From these solid statistics, we can infer that the pandemic has triggered more people to dip their toes into the digital economy, which may fully dethrone cash use here in the next three to five years,” says Chris Connell, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky.Safety and convenience triggered more users in APAC to embrace financial technologies. More than half of the survey pollees noted that they started using digital payment methods during the pandemic as it is safer and more convenient than making a face-to-face transaction.
Respondents also cited that these platforms allowed them to make payments while adhering to social distancing (45%) and that these are the only way they can do monetary transactions during the lockdown (36%). For 29% of users, digital gateways are more secure now compared to pre-COVID-19 era and the same percentage also appreciate the incentives and rewards providers offer.
While only a small fraction, friends and relatives (23%) still influenced new adopters as well as the local government (18%) promoting the use of digital payment methods.
When asked about their reservations prior to using mobile banking and payment apps, first-time users admitted their fears – afraid of losing money online (48%) and afraid of storing their financial data online (41%). Almost 4 in 10 also revealed they do not trust the security of these platforms.
More than a quarter also find this technology too troublesome and requires many passwords or questions (26%), while 25% confessed their personal devices are not secure enough.
“To drive a secured digital economy forward, it is important for us to know the pain points of our users and identify the loopholes that we need to address urgently. It is a welcome finding that the public is aware of the risks that comes with online transactions and because of this, developers and providers of mobile payment applications should now look into the cybersecurity gaps in each stage of the payment process and implement security features, or even a secure-by-design approach to fully gain the trust of the future and existing digital payment adopters,” Connell adds.
To help users in APAC embrace digital payment technologies securely, Kaspersky experts suggest the following:
It is better to be safe than sorry – beware of fake communications, and adopt a cautious stance when it comes to handing over sensitive information. Do not readily share private or confidential information online, especially when it comes to requests for your financial information and payment details.
Use your own computer and Internet connection when making payments online. As like how you would only make purchases only from trusted stores when shopping physically, translate the same caution to when making payments online – you’ll never know if public computers have spyware running on them recording everything you type on the keyboards, or if your public Internet connection has been intercepted by criminals waiting to launch an attack.
Don’t share your passwords, PIN numbers or one-time passwords (OTPs) with family or friends. While it may seem convenient, or a good idea, these provide an entryway for cybercriminals to trick users into revealing personal information to collect bank credentials. Keep them to yourself and safeguard your private information.
Adopting a holistic solution of security products and practical steps can minimize the risk of falling victim to threats and keeping your financial information safe. Utilize reliable security solutions for comprehensive protection from a wide range of threats, such as Kaspersky Internet Security, Kaspersky Fraud Prevention and the use of Kaspersky Safe Money to help check the authenticity of websites of banks, payment systems and online stores you visit, as well as establish a secure connection.
To read the full report, please visit https://kas.pr/b6w8.
Methodology
The Kaspersky “Mapping a digitally secure path for the future of payments in APAC” report studies our interactions with online payments. It also examines our attitudes towards them, which hold the key to understanding the factors that will further drive or stem the adoption of this technology.The study was conducted by research agency YouGov in key territories in APAC, including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam (10 countries). Survey responses were gathered in July 2021 with a total of 1,618 respondents surveyed across the stated countries.
The respondents ranged from 18-65 years of age, all of which are working professionals who are digital payment users.
Through this study, when the behavior of the population of a market is generalized, it is in reference to the group of respondents sampled above.
COUNT
Love the long weekend break? Cybercriminals do, too

April 4, 2023 5:11 p.m.
There are 18 official public holidays in the Philippines. As we all know, when these dates fall close to a weekend or if the government pursues holiday economics, most Filipinos make plans in advance to take advantage of extended holiday breaks. This year, we can get to do that at least 12 times.
Unfortunately, cybercriminals get excited about holidays, too. To refresh everyone’s memory, the $81-million Bangladesh Bank heist back in 2016 is an example of a successful cyber attack, which happened on the first day of Lunar New Year, a national holiday in the Philippines and the rest of Asia.
“Now that the world has reopened, travel is back with a vengeance this year, hence the term ‘travel revenge’. Whether Filipinos are scheduling holiday trips or just staycation-ing during the long weekends, it’s important to observe simple digital security practices so you can get to sit back and relax as you take your well-deserved vacation. Security-first thinking opens doors for a more enjoyable holiday break, especially for Filipinos who are amongst the world’s most active online users,” comments Chris Connell, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky.
Both individuals and companies are advised to be extra mindful of personal cybersecurity best practices and internet hygiene when on a holiday.
For companies, Kaspersky suggests to:
- Conduct drills
- Stress to vacationing employees why data encryption, two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and locking devices when not in use are important.
- Discuss the steps to take if their device ends up getting stolen.
- Advise staff about charging smartphones in a wall socket, not through USBs at airports and other public places (these can be used to steal data from a device and infect it with malicious software, such as spyware.
- Educate employees about the dangers of public WIFI (and even hotel WIFI unless it is encrypted and password-protected) and how to use a secure connection such as with a VPN.
- Log out
- Terminate unnecessary VPN connections to the corporate infrastructure.
- End unnecessary sessions that employees have left on any devices for an extended period of time. This also applies to corporate messengers, web apps and any other services.
- Check that the list of employees with access to the corporate network via VPN or RDP include only authorized users. Revoke access from those who don’t need it.
- Create special “emergency” admin accounts for potential incident response over the holidays. The rights granted to regular admin accounts can even be temporarily restricted so that attackers cannot exploit them.
- Install patches for all key applications. This process is far simpler if your company uses security solutions with a built-in patch management system.
Meanwhile, Kaspersky encourages individuals to:
- Only browse trusted apps and websites and be careful about personal information you input like credit card numbers or home address.
- Do not click on links or open email attachments from travel sites when receiving confirmations. Trusted companies include such letters in the bodies of their emails. Malware is often disguised as an attached confirmation letter.
- Bring two or three or more credit or debit cards to have a backup plan in case of loss or needing to cancel one.
- Never leave valuables unattended. Put large amounts of cash and mobile devices or laptops in the hotel safe.
- Use a credit card as most have built-in protections against fraud. There is no protection against a scammer if you send them cash or even check or debit card payment in some cases. A money transfer service is not advisable.
- Ensure their devices has security software installed, ideally with anti-theft technology.
COUNT
Kaspersky blocks close to 1M financial phishing attacks eyeing SEA businesses last year

March 20, 2023 9:54 p.m.
Phishing is one of the most prevalent forms of cybercrime due to the minimal effort required and the fact that it really works.
It’s usually built around an inherently simple scheme: using carefully crafted emails or notifications that mimic messages from banks, government organizations, entertainment platforms—really any service—cybercriminals can trick users into following a link to a fraudulent website and giving up their payment or personal details or even downloading malicious programs.
Kaspersky in 2022 has blocked a total of 822,536 financial phishing targeted at companies in Southeast Asia (SEA). From SMBs to large enterprises, financial phishers kept trying to infect businesses in the
region last year.
In this case, “financial phishing” refers not only to banking specific phishing but also payment systems and e-shops. Payment system phishing includes pages impersonating well-known payment brands, such as PayPal, MasterCard, American Express, Visa and others. E-shops refer to online stores and auction sites like Amazon, the Apple Store, Steam, eBay etc.
Indonesia chalked up the highest number of financial phishing incidents (208,238). Vietnam comes second with 172,694, and Malaysia recorded 120,656. Thailand logged 101,461 phishing attempts related to finances, followed by the Philippines with 52,914, and Singapore with 22,109.
“It’s interesting to see companies being targeted by financial phishing but we have to remember here that businesses, at their core, are still made up of humans. Phishing is a type of social engineering attack. Social engineering attack is dubbed as hacking of the human mind. With nine out of ten employees needing basic cybersecurity skills training, cybercriminals know that the workforce remains a loophole they can exploit easily to launch a cyberattack against a company,” says Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.
As reported, phishing email is usually the first chapter of 91% of all cyberattacks. A phishing simulation done by Kaspersky reinforced how cybercriminals trick employees into clicking malicious mails.
It showed that workers tend not to notice pitfalls hidden in emails devoted to corporate issues and online delivery problem notifications and almost one in five (16% to 18%) clicked the link in the email templates imitating these phishing attacks.
Among the other phishing emails that gained a significant number of clicks are; reservation confirmations from a booking service (11%), a notification about an order placement (11%), and an IKEA contest announcement (10%).
To prevent complex attacks, and any related financial and reputational losses caused by phishing attacks, Kaspersky recommends the following for businesses:
- Remind your employees about the basic signs of phishing emails. A dramatic subject line, mistakes and typos, inconsistent sender addresses and suspicious links;
- If there is any doubt about the received email, check the format of attachments before opening them and the link accuracy before clicking. This can be achieved by hovering over these elements – making sure the address looks authentic and the attached files are not in an executable format;
- Always report phishing attacks. If you spot a phishing attack, report it to your IT security department and, if possible, avoid opening the malicious email. This will allow your cybersecurity team to reconfigure anti-spam policies and prevent an incident;
- Supply your employees with basic cybersecurity knowledge. Education should be aimed at changing the behavior of learners and teaching them how to deal with threats. As a major cybersecurity vendor, Kaspersky possesses a relevant base of information on real attacks and continuously supplements its Security Awareness Trainings in accordance with the current threat landscape;
- Since phishing attempts can be confusing, and there’s no guarantee of avoiding all accident clicks, protect your working devices and your enterprise perimeters with a holistic expert security like Kaspersky Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform. It provides anti-spam capabilities, tracks suspicious behavior, and creates a backup copy of your files in case of ransomware attacks. Anti-phishing protection is also included, as well as threat hunting.
Enterprises can find out more about this new platform at go.kaspersky.com/expert .
Kaspersky in Southeast Asia also has launched a Buy 1 Free 1 promo. Businesses can now enjoy two years of enterprise-grade endpoint protection for the price of 1 with Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business or Cloud or Kaspersky Endpoint Detection and Response Optimum, with 24×7 phone support. Interested customers can reach out to sea.sales@kaspersky.com.
COUNT
Let there be light: MR.DIY electrical tools Pinoy homeowners should have

March 11, 2023 7:37 p.m.
Being a homeowner entails being nifty at doing quick fixes. Things like leaky faucets, crooked cabinets, and regrouting tiles are just some of the common and simple home problems you can DIY. But you can also try your hand at finally overcoming your electrical-related problems at home like changing the wires or replacing switches and light bulbs.
Got the basics down but not the tools at hand? Ace your next home repairs and improvement with MR.DIY’s wide array of electrical products, including lighting, that are not only value for your money, but are only a stone’s throw away — at your nearest MR.DIY branch!
1. MR.DIY Battery Sensor Light and LED Emergency Lantern
Make it easier for you to find your way in the dark with MR. DIY Battery Sensor Light. Equipped with a motion sensor, the 6-LED light is perfect for small and out-of-the-way spaces where you don’t have access to a power outlet. With MR.DIY’s emergency lantern, you’ll always be prepared for anything! This durable, usb-powered light is also ideal for camping or outdoor use as well.
2. MR.DIY Premium 5W Daylight
Even as simple as changing a light bulb can positively impact your space and wellbeing! With the E27Daylight LED Bulb, there’s no need to worry about straining your eyes or having headaches because you have a wide light coverage just enough to fill your room.
3. Flashlights galore
MR.DIY has torches of all shapes and sizes! From handy aluminum led-light flashlights to solar-powered, and even USB-powered torches, to battery-powered, large-capacity flashlights, we have them all at your nearest MR.DIY branch!
4. Alkaline batteries of all sizes, for all needs
Give your battery-operated devices a boost with MR.DIY batteries. MR.DIY batteries are safe and long-lasting–especially designed for clocks, remote controls, electric shavers, toys, and electric toothbrushes among others.
With more than 18,000 items available, MR.DIY is the country’s favorite family and home improvement one-stop shop retailer — the place to be for your daily home fixes. These tools and other electrical items are now available at MR.DIY stores nationwide.
To learn more about MR.D.I.Y. and other exciting events, visit MR.DIY’s official website or follow /mrdiyPH on Facebook, and @mrdiy.philippines on Instagram and Tiktok for the featured promotions. Have a fast, safe, and efficient DIY shopping!
###
About MR.DIY
MR.DIY is the largest home improvement retailer with more than 2,000 stores across Southeast Asia including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Cambodia, India, and Europe in Turkey and Spain. The home improvement retailer has dedicated itself to making a positive difference in the lives of its valued customers by offering convenience at all its stores nationwide.
All MR.DIY stores are managed directly, and the company often works in collaboration with other mass merchandise retailers or owners of malls or shopfront properties. MR.DIY stores offer a wide selection of — approximately 18,000 SKUs — across 5 major categories, namely hardware; household and furnishing; electrical; stationery and sports equipment products; and others (comprising amongst other toys, car accessories, jewelry, and cosmetics).
The company strives to put customers first by operating an innovative business that is flexible when it comes to providing a wide variety of products, good quality, and value-for-money, holding true to the company’s motto of “ALWAYS LOW PRICES”.