Survey of Malaysian Businesses Reveals Only One Third Have a Basic Understanding of the Dark Web

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Dec. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CybersecurityAsean.com, one of the specialist portals of Asia Online Publishing Group, and Ingram Micro Malaysia Sdn Bhd are pleased to reveal the findings of their survey into corporate Malaysia's understanding of the dark web.

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Melina Hwang, general manager at Asia Online Publishing Group (publisher of cybersecurityasean.com), explained, "The dark web has good and bad uses, but just like entering a 'bad part of town'. If you go there and you are not 'streetwise', you can expect to get into trouble." She went on, "Our survey explored how much Malaysian companies understood, not just about the what the dark web is, but also why and how it presents a risk to Malaysian businesses."

The survey revealed that only a third of respondents could accurately define what the dark web is and over 90% were unsure whether any of their data is "for sale" on the dark web.

BT Tay, Managing Director of Ingram Micro Malaysia, pointed out, "The dark web is a small but dangerous corner of the internet, it is not visible to normal search engines and not accessible with normal web browsers. It offers anonymity to visitors and that's why it appeals to cyber criminals as they can sell illegal goods and services without being traced." According to Tay, the dark web is a marketplace for stolen corporate data, with username and passwords readily available in return for some benefits.

He went on, "That's why Ingram are leading the way with threat intelligence, companies need to understand their dark web exposure and how to remediate when they discover breached data 'for sale'."

The survey also found that 85% of Malaysian businesses have no dark web strategy at all. AOPG's Hwang stressed on how important it is that business understand the risks, "Whether its ransomware as a service being sold to entrepreneurial cyber criminals through to the data stolen from companies on phishing sites, a lot of threats we see today start and end in the dark web. Companies need to better understand and be better prepared to monitor how their own online reputation is being exposed in the deep web."

At a recent event to a group of 20 security personnel from Malaysian businesses to pre-launch the survey findings, Hwang explained how Ingram Micro demonstrated some of the advanced threat intelligence tools they have at their disposal. "A representative volunteered to allow Ingram to search his company's domain on the dark web, the whole room was shocked when the live but real demo pulled up a list of usernames complete with passwords all pulled from the deep web."

The full survey write up can be downloaded from https://aopgdownloads.com/file/how-well-do-malaysians-understand-the-dark-web.

About Asia Online Publishing Group Sdn Bhd

Asia Online Publishing Group Sdn Bhd (AOPG) is South East Asia's leading specialist IT News Publisher. With leading specialist portals www.datastorageasean.com, www.disruptivetechasean.com and www.cybersecurityasean.com. AOPG has developed a reputation for taking complex subjects and writing about them in clear and concise terms. Our journalists are invited around the globe to cover the latest and greatest announcements from world leading technology vendors who value our industry leading expertise and focus.

About Ingram Micro Inc.

Ingram Micro helps businesses Realize the Promise of Technology™. It delivers a full spectrum of global technology and supply chain services to businesses around the world. Deep expertise in technology solutions, mobility, cloud, and supply chain solutions enables its business partners to operate efficiently and successfully in the markets they serve. Unrivalled agility, deep market insights and the trust and dependability that come from decades of proven relationships, set Ingram Micro apart and ahead. Ingram Micro Malaysia also drives towards leading the market from the technology aspect that compromises of Cybersecurity, Cloud, Workspace & Digital Transformation. We will brand ourselves as a Data company & provide all solutions surrounding to it, end to end to our customers.  More at www.ingrammicro.com.

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20191218/2675141-1?lang=0