AI-driven cyberattacks increase in Asia-Pacific, targeting Indonesian manufacturing
Kaspersky reported a surge in AI-driven cyberattacks across Asia-Pacific in the first half of 2026, with Indonesian manufacturing identified as particularly vulnerable. Attackers are using AI to accelerate attacks and evade detection, including through malware disguised as AI software agents, with confirmed operational disruptions to at least one major logistics operator.
What happened
Kaspersky reported detecting and blocking 75 million cyberattacks in Asia-Pacific during the first half of 2026, with 3.4 million backdoor attacks and 2.4 million credential-stealing attacks among the most prevalent threats.
Attackers are integrating AI to make attacks faster, more adaptive, and harder to detect. Over 15,000 malware samples have been identified that disguise themselves as AI software agents.
Manufacturing and infrastructure organizations in Indonesia now face AI-driven cyberattacks targeting both IT and OT systems connected to physical operations. Attacks on Nichirei Corp disrupted the company's logistics network.
Reported impact
Manufacturing companies and infrastructure operators face growing operational disruption risks as cybersecurity capabilities lag behind attack speeds enabled by AI.
AI integration into the supply chain creates new attack vectors through third-party software, APIs, plugins, and frameworks, increasing the complexity and potential consequences of system breaches affecting production, logistics, and operational infrastructure.
Index analysis
Security teams in the region face a detection and response gap as AI-accelerated attacks outpace their ability to identify and counter threats, creating what researchers describe as a 'blind spot' in IT and OT environments.
The rise of malware disguised as AI agents represents a new layer in digital supply chain risks, particularly as organizations increase their reliance on AI technologies and connected systems in manufacturing.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.