How Kaspersky is driving growth in APAC

Kaspersky is leveraging its deep threat intelligence capabilities and local market knowledge to drive growth across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Speaking to Computer Weekly in a recent interview in Singapore, Adrian Hia, Kaspersky’s managing director for APAC, said the company has built up a threat research and analysis team across the region.

Hia noted that by having dedicated experts on the ground in APAC markets, including “difficult ones” where other security suppliers do not have a presence, Kaspersky is able to closely monitor the activities of cyber criminal groups and advanced persistent threats (APTs) that are specific to each country.

The company’s ability to leverage local threat researchers also gives it a unique advantage in terms of attribution. By closely monitoring the activities of cyber criminal groups, Kaspersky is able to trace the origins of attacks and identify the responsible parties, especially in Asia where geopolitical tensions and state-sponsored cyber attacks are a growing concern.

In markets like Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Korea, where geopolitical sensitivities may affect the use of Kaspersky products, the company focuses more on selling threat intelligence. In those markets, “it’s better for us to sell things than to install things”, Hia said.

In high-growth markets such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and India, the conversation shifts to endpoint protection and industrial security, capitalising on rapid industrialisation and digitisation.

In emerging markets such as Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, Kaspersky is focusing more on endpoint security as those markets are generally not ready to adopt more advanced security capabilities such as security information and events management (SIEM) and security data lakes.

Hia said Kaspersky has been growing its business in the APAC markets it plays in, with double-digit growth rates in markets like China where it is the only foreign cyber security supplier. “From an APAC perspective, we are trying to grow faster than the market.”

To reach customers, Kaspersky relies on a network of partners that serve as the sales channel through which its products are sold to customers alongside third-party security products, including those of competitors. The company also taps into the managed service provider (MSP) model, supplying technology to service providers which then white-label and resell it to end customers.

Despite its growth, Kaspersky faces several challenges in the region’s evolving cyber security landscape. A significant hurdle is the shortage of skilled cyber security talent, which is crucial as organisations look to build advanced capabilities beyond basic endpoint protection. To address this in markets like India, Kaspersky is collaborating with Indian universities, including the Indian Institutes of Technology in Mumbai and New Delhi, to develop cyber security-focused curricula and training programmes.

Another challenge is the fragmented nature of the cyber security ecosystem, exacerbated by geopolitical tensions. “As a cyber security industry, we’re supposed to share information at the vendor level to build the most robust ecosystem, but right now everyone is becoming very siloed and guarded,” Hia said.

To foster a more open and collaborative approach, Kaspersky is advocating for integration among suppliers through its open extended detection and response (XDR) platform. Hia emphasised that IT and security leaders must also drive the vision for a more resilient environment, with capabilities like incident response and preventive measures that can be supported through an open platform.

To alleviate concerns about its Russian heritage, Hia revealed that profits from Kaspersky’s APAC operations, headquartered in Singapore, go to its holding company in the UK, not Russia.

He also emphasised Kaspersky’s transparency initiatives, which allow customers to inspect its software source code and verify that no customer data is being extracted. “But if you’re still worried, you can subscribe to our threat intelligence – where I’m only giving you things, not taking anything from you,” Hia added.