Kaspersky Flags Biometric Cyber Risks in Southeast Asia

Kaspersky warns biometric systems across Southeast Asia remain highly exposed to cyberattacks, as Malaysia’s rapid adoption heightens risks from phishing, spyware and insecure operational networks and critical identity infrastructure.

Biometric systems used for identity verification and access control remain one of the most exposed technologies in operational environments across Southeast Asia, according to new findings from Kaspersky’s ICS CERT. Globally, malicious activity was detected on 27.2% of biometric systems, while the exposure rate in SEA stood at a concerning 23.7%, keeping the category firmly in high-risk territory.

Kaspersky Findings

Malaysia is a clear example of this growing challenge. As biometric technologies gain traction across public services, finance, transport, healthcare and energy, the domestic market is expanding rapidly, valued at US$135.27 million in 2024 and projected to reach US$570.52 million by 2033. This pace of adoption, however, also increases the attack surface for cyber criminals.

Kaspersky’s analysis shows that most threats targeting biometric systems in SEA originate from everyday channels such as the internet and email, with phishing pages, malicious scripts, spyware and infected documents among the most common vectors.

These attacks typically exploit weaknesses in the supporting computers and networks rather than the biometric hardware itself.

The research also highlights a broader shift in cybercrime, with attackers increasingly targeting immutable data like facial images instead of passwords. This makes breaches harder to reverse and more damaging.

Kaspersky stresses that improving network security, segmentation and threat intelligence is essential to protect biometric systems as they become embedded in critical, identity-driven processes.

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