Malaysia businesses face AI and password cybersecurity risks

• Kaspersky links Malaysia’s businesses’ AI use and hybrid work to workplace cybersecurity risks.
• Malaysia spyware, backdoor, and fake AI attacks rose, Kaspersky says.

Kaspersky has cited AI use, password practices, hybrid work, and recent threat detections in its assessment of workplace cybersecurity risks in Malaysia.

The company said employees are increasingly using the same devices, accounts, applications, and online services across personal and professional settings. Kaspersky said weak passwords, compromised accounts, and unsecured services can expose work environments to attackers.

AI tools enter daily workflows

Kaspersky’s latest findings on AI use showed that 87% of Malaysian respondents who have used AI tools use them to search for information. Another 63% use AI for work-related tasks, including preparing reports, presentations, data analysis, and idea generation.

AI tools are also being used outside the workplace. More than one-third of Malaysian respondents said they use AI for personal activities such as studying, entertainment, travel planning, and daily tasks.

Kaspersky’s data also shows that threat actors are disguising malicious or unwanted software as popular AI services.

A separate Kaspersky study reported mixed use of account security practices among Malaysians. Only 57% of respondents said they had enabled two-factor authentication, while 44% continued to use easy-to-remember passwords. Another 40% said they used password generators.

A study cited by Kaspersky from the Malaysian Employers Federation found that more than 70% of companies in Malaysia have adopted hybrid working models. Kaspersky said hybrid work means employees are accessing company systems across office, homeand other locations.

Local detections rise

Kaspersky’s threat intelligence data showed that organisations in Malaysia faced higher detections of spyware and backdoor attacks in 2025. The company detected and blocked 194,692 spyware attacks targeting organisations in the country, up 75% from the previous year.

Kaspersky also said businesses in Malaysia faced 212,239 backdoor attacks during the same period, with detections rising 86% year-on-year.

Spyware is used to collect sensitive information. Backdoors allow attackers to maintain unauthorised access to compromised systems.

Fake AI services target users

Kaspersky also reported detections involving malware and potentially unwanted applications disguised as AI services. Between January and early May 2026, the company detected more than 92,000 malware and potentially unwanted application attacks worldwide that were disguised as AI services.

Fake ChatGPT accounted for nearly half of those detections, according to Kaspersky.

Malwarebytes reported in May 2026 that a fake ChatGPT download site imitated OpenAI’s desktop app page and delivered malware to Windows and macOS users. The reported payloads included credential-stealing malware and a macOS stealer.

The FBI has also warned that cybercriminals use redirection systems to send users to fake login pages, phishing sites, and malware-laced software updates. The US Federal Trade Commission advises users to avoid unfamiliar websites when downloading free content, citing malware exposure risks.

SMBs face AI-themed lures

The company also reported higher detections involving small and medium-sized businesses. From January to April 2026, its security solutions detected more than 33,300 attacks globally against SMBs in which malicious or unwanted PC software was disguised as popular AI services. The figure was almost five times higher than in the same period in 2025.

Kaspersky’s global SMB data showed that the most common AI-related lures in early 2026 were malware posing as ChatGPT, Claude, and DeepSeek, accounting for 42%, 24%, and 20% of detections, respectively.

Kaspersky’s regional data showed that Southeast Asia accounted for more than 1,800 SMB attacks involving malicious or unwanted PC software disguised as AI services from January to April 2026. The figure was nearly seven times higher year-on-year.

ASEAN data shows that micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises account for 97.2% to 99.9% of total establishments across its member states.

Kaspersky said many of the malicious files targeting SMBs were Trojware. These files are designed to appear harmless, but can be used to download additional malware or steal, delete, block, modify, or copy data from compromised devices.

A 2024 study in Computers & Security identified gaps among SMBs in access control, formal policies, dedicated cybersecurity budgets, and cybersecurity guidance.

Kaspersky also reported SMB detections involving fake communication tools. From January to April 2026, Kaspersky blocked almost 415,000 attacks involving malicious or unwanted software disguised as Telegram, WhatsApp, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. The company said the number changed only marginally from the previous year.

Adrian Hia, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky, said employee behaviour plays a role in organisational cybersecurity risk.

“Businesses can deploy sophisticated security strategies and solutions, but the reality is that employees do not leave their digital habits at the office door,” Hia said. “The same behaviours that guide how people interact with technology in their personal lives can also carry over into the workplace.”

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