90% of Gen Z respondents in APAC report a cyber incident in past year

Nine in ten Gen Z respondents across six Asia Pacific markets experienced at least one cyber incident over the past year, according to research from Kaspersky. The findings highlight a notable disconnect between young users’ ease with online platforms and their practical ability to safeguard accounts, devices and personal information.

While 67% of Gen Z respondents across the region felt confident navigating digital environments, merely 26% rated their grasp of online threats and protective measures as advanced. The incidents encountered by respondents spanned hacked social media accounts, personal data leaks, scams, investment fraud and loss of access to gaming accounts.

Online confidence exceeds security knowledge

Members of Gen Z proved to be the demographic most inclined to spend more time online than offline, with 56% in APAC confirming this pattern. In addition, 75% identified smartphones as their primary hardware for regular internet access.

Levels of user confidence varied across the six surveyed APAC markets. Indonesia registered the highest proportion at 77%, followed by Vietnam at 71%, India at 67%, China at 66% and Thailand at 65%. Malaysia recorded the lowest figure among the group at 54%.

In contrast, self-assessed knowledge of online threats was markedly lower across all territories. India recorded the highest share of Gen Z respondents who considered their understanding of digital threats and protective measures advanced, reaching 35%. Indonesia and Malaysia followed at 28% each, outperforming Vietnam at 24%, Thailand at 23% and China at just 10%.

This knowledge gap extended directly to everyday security habits, as Gen Z respondents were less likely than Millennials, Gen X and Boomers to install antivirus software on their smartphones. Routine password updates were also less frequent, with only 35% of Gen Z respondents updating credentials regularly, compared with 48% of Millennials, 50% of Gen X respondents and 53% of Boomers. Set against these habits, 90% of Gen Z respondents reported experiencing at least one cyber incident during the previous year, matching the proportion recorded among Millennials.

Smartphones contain much of Gen Z’s important data

Kaspersky also evaluated the types of information that Gen Z users consider most critical on their devices. Globally, 38% regarded photos and personal documents as critically important, while 30% placed equal weight on passwords and login credentials.

Despite attaching high importance to such records, only around one-third of Gen Z respondents regularly backed up vital data from their smartphones. A compromised handset could therefore expose photographs and identity documents alongside email accounts, social media profiles and access to financial services.

Irina Ermilova, Vice President for Consumer Product Management at Kaspersky, pointed out that familiarity with digital platforms must not be mistaken for genuine security understanding. “Gen Z has grown up online, so digital services often feel intuitive and familiar to them. However, familiarity should not be confused with security expertise. Being able to navigate apps, platforms and devices confidently does not necessarily mean being able to identify scams, manage passwords securely or protect personal data,” she said.

“The findings show that cybersecurity tools and habits need to become a natural part of everyday digital life as messaging, gaming or using social media,” Ermilova added. In response, Kaspersky recommends adopting strong, unique passwords, backing up important smartphone data regularly and shielding devices against malware and phishing, alongside applying additional protection when connecting through public Wi-Fi networks.

The company’s market research centre conducted the study in March 2026 with 7,200 respondents across 18 countries. The six APAC markets represented in the regional analysis were China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.