AI-driven cyberattacks surge across South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam

Cybersecurity threats are escalating across East and Southeast Asia as criminals increasingly utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to conduct sophisticated attacks. In South Korea and Japan, major financial institutions and corporations, including Daiwa Securities and SoftBank, have faced a surge in cyber incidents. Experts note that AI enables attackers to automate vulnerability scanning and phishing campaigns, making them faster and harder to detect. In South Korea, while server attacks have decreased, DDoS and ransomware incidents have risen significantly.

CrowdStrike reported that a recent attack on South Korean banks was likely facilitated by AI tools, including a Chinese-developed agent and Anthropic’s Claude Code.

In Vietnam, the State Bank of Vietnam has issued warnings regarding the use of Deepfakes and AI to bypass biometric authentication. Criminals are reportedly exploiting stolen biometric data to impersonate account holders and execute unauthorized transfers. In response, Vietnamese authorities are working with financial institutions to patch vulnerabilities and have deployed the SIMO warning system to detect fraudulent activities.