A new global ransomware study by Semperis has revealed that organisations in Singapore face the highest rate of regulatory extortion threats from cybercriminals, with two in three reporting such tactics in the past year.
Rising threats across Asia-Pacific
Semperis, a provider of AI-powered identity security solutions, released its 2025 Global Ransomware Risk Report on 1 August, based on a survey of nearly 1,500 organisations worldwide. The study highlights Asia-Pacific as one of the most targeted regions for ransomware attacks, second only to Germany. In Singapore, rising threats have prompted authorities to raise the National Cyber Threat Alert Level in response to the UNC3886 campaign, signalling heightened concerns about cyber resilience.
According to the report, 66% of Singaporean organisations said hackers threatened to report them to regulators unless they disclosed the breach themselves—significantly higher than the global average of 47% across countries such as the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The research also found that identity-related compromises were the most common form of cyberattack in the region, affecting 93% of surveyed organisations in Asia-Pacific. The most common ransomware tactic used was the threat to release sensitive or proprietary data, cited by 82% of organisations. This method continues to pressure victims into meeting ransom demands to avoid reputational damage.
Payouts remain high in Asia-Pacific
The study found that 85% of organisations in Asia-Pacific paid the ransom following an attack, far surpassing regions such as the UK (68%), North America (66%), and Europe (50%). In Singapore, half of the organisations that paid a ransom had done so more than once, highlighting an ongoing cycle of vulnerability and pressure.
Mickey Bresman, CEO of Semperis, warned against normalising ransom payments. “Paying ransoms should never be the default option. While some circumstances might leave the company in a non-choice situation, we should acknowledge that it’s a downpayment on the next attack. Every dollar handed to ransomware gangs fuels their criminal economy, incentivizing them to strike again. The only real way to break the ransomware scourge is to invest in resilience, creating an option to not pay ransom,” he said.
Ransomware attacks are also having an impact at the executive level. In Singapore, 67% of affected organisations reported that a C-level leader either resigned or was dismissed after an incident, underscoring the importance of leadership accountability in cybersecurity.
Strengthening cyber resilience through identity security
The report calls for urgent action by organisations to strengthen their cyber defences, particularly around identity systems such as Active Directory and Entra ID. According to Gerry Sillars, Vice President for Asia Pacific and Japan at Semperis, identity infrastructure is now a key vulnerability that requires immediate attention.
“There is an urgent need for organisations to strengthen their overall cybersecurity posture, particularly around identity protection. Ransomware resilience around identity infrastructure is key. As cyberattacks grow more targeted and relentless, Singapore enterprises must urgently prioritise identity-first security strategies, proactive recovery planning, and executive-level accountability to withstand the next wave of threats,” said Sillars.
He added that businesses must also assess the cybersecurity readiness of third-party vendors and partners, who often represent weak links in the chain. “When third parties have access to sensitive systems and data, the risk of compromise significantly increases. Additionally, organisations should stay ahead of evolving ransomware tactics by conducting regular tabletop exercises to strengthen their response capabilities.”
Semperis continues to support global organisations in protecting hybrid identity environments and offers resources such as its Hybrid Identity Protection (HIP) Conference, HIP Podcast, and free security tools including Purple Knight and Forest Druid.
