Sponsored postal companies in the ASEAN region have long relied on a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt their internet traffic and protect users' online identities.

But the latest cyberattack reported to involve nation-state hackers actively targeting vulnerabilities in an established VPN service suggests it may be time for a rethink.

In January of this year, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) was forced to issue an emergency directive urging users of Ivantis Connect Secure and Policy Secure Gateways to download and fix a vulnerability that allowed cybercriminals to take control of the systems. .

There is no doubt that the current post-pandemic appetite for remote and hybrid work in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and others in the ASEAN region is creating new vulnerabilities and cybersecurity challenges that domestic CISOs must address.