Kaspersky: Cyberthreats Are AI-Native, Cybersecurity Must Be AI-Powered

As AI and connectivity reshape modern enterprises, security teams face growing blindspots across IT and OT environments. Kaspersky highlights the need for organisations across APAC to strengthen visibility, detection and response as cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated and AI-driven.

“As speed and connectivity reshape modern enterprises and organisations in the region, driven mainly by AI and its applications, security teams face growing blindspots across IT and OT environments. As a result, cybersecurity today is no longer just a race against time. It's a race against invisibility,” says Hia.

Hia highlighted key trends including AI-assisted attacks, cyber sabotage targeting IT and OT infrastructure, and increasingly sophisticated cyberespionage. “Last year, we detected and blocked half a million unique malicious files daily, which is 7% higher than in 2024. Recent cyberattacks across APAC show that the divide between the online and physical realms is completely gone. Just a couple of weeks ago, Nichirei Corp suffered a cyberattack that disrupted its logistics network. Meanwhile, India’s manufacturing sector has become an APAC hotspot for industrial ransomware, with groups consistently paralysing factory floors and industrial IT services,” says Hia.

“AI agents introduce a new supply chain layer—this year alone, Kaspersky has identified over 15,000 malware samples disguised as agentic AI software. Because agents dynamically depend on third-party frameworks, APIs, and plugins, a single compromised upstream dependency can cascade across downstream systems, dramatically expanding the surface for cyber sabotage and cyberespionage. As threats become AI-native and defenses AI-powered, APAC organisations must look beyond just stopping attacks and ask whether they actually have visibility into what's already happening inside their environments,” he adds.

Kaspersky’s Compromise Assessment findings reinforce this challenge: 31% of analysed incidents involved malicious activity that had persisted for more than three months, while 52% of high-severity compromises were discovered only after 90 days. The oldest incident remained undetected for four years.

“Our recent report highlights why a modern, unified SOC is becoming business-critical. When organisations rely on reactive security practices or lack continuous monitoring, attackers gain valuable time to move laterally, escalate privileges, and compromise critical assets. A mature SOC shortens that window by providing the visibility, expertise, and operational discipline needed to detect threats before they become major incidents,” he adds.

Kaspersky combines AI with human expertise across its security technologies and services. “AI isn't an add-on at Kaspersky. For the past 20 years, AI has been embedded across our entire technology stack, enabling faster detection, smarter automation, and consistent protection. We have always believed that as cyber threats continue to evolve, the future of cybersecurity lies in the collaboration between AI and human expertise. It is not either or - it’s HuMachine Intelligence, as we call it. It’s the philosophy that has guided our innovation for years and will continue to shape how we protect organisations against the threats of tomorrow,” Hia explains.

Through Kaspersky Next, Compromise Assessment, MDR, Incident Response and SOC Consulting, organisations can strengthen visibility, investigation, response and overall security operations.

To explore more of Kaspersky’s solutions and services for building and enhancing your SOC, please follow the link.