Kevin Wong, Country Manager of Fortinet Malaysia (left) and Rashish Pandey, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Asia and ANZ at Fortinet.
Fortinet warns of a triple surge in AI-driven attacks as Malaysian organizations fall behind in defence and detection capabilities
By TNS NewsTeam
PETALING JAYA, May 29 — Cybercriminals are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to launch faster, stealthier, and more coordinated attacks across Malaysia, according to a new IDC survey commissioned by global cybersecurity firm Fortinet.
Unveiled at a media briefing in Kuala Lumpur today, the report reveals that nearly 50% of Malaysian organizations encountered AI-powered threats in the past year, with a twofold increase in attacks reported by 54%, and a threefold spike by 24%.
“These threats are no longer hypothetical. They are real, evolving fast, and targeting the weakest links in our digital infrastructure — from human error to identity systems,” said Kevin Wong, Country Manager of Fortinet Malaysia.
AI Arms the Adversary
The new class of AI-enabled threats includes automated zero-day exploits, deepfake impersonations, AI-assisted credential stuffing, and adversarial data poisoning—many of which bypass traditional security controls with ease.
Yet, despite the growing sophistication of these threats, only 19% of Malaysian organizations say they are very confident in defending against them. Worryingly, one in five admits they have no ability to track AI-powered threats at all.
“As cyberthreats grow more covert and coordinated, we’re seeing a clear shift in how organizations approach cybersecurity investment,” said Rashish Pandey, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Asia and ANZ at Fortinet.
“The focus is moving beyond infrastructure to more strategic areas like identity, resilience, and access. At Fortinet, we’re helping customers reframe cybersecurity as a long-term business enabler — not just a line of defence. Our platform brings the scale, intelligence, and simplicity needed to adapt and thrive in this new reality.”
Always On Alert: Cyber Risk Is Constant
The findings underscore a shift in the threat landscape — from episodic breaches to constant exposure. In Malaysia, ransomware (64%) remains the most reported threat, but AI has quietly reshaped the rules of engagement.
With only 7% of an organization’s workforce dedicated to IT and just 13% of that subset focused on cybersecurity, most companies are severely under-resourced. Moreover, only 15% of firms have a standalone Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Lean security teams are facing burnout, skill shortages, and an overwhelming volume of alerts.
“Organizations are facing a surge in stealthy, complex threats that bypass traditional detection methods,” said Simon Piff, Research Vice-President at IDC Asia-Pacific. “Predictive, intelligence-driven operations must become the norm.”
Investment Trails Risk
Despite rising threat levels, cybersecurity spending remains modest. Only 15% of IT budgets in Malaysia are allocated to cybersecurity, representing just over 1% of total company revenue.
However, structural change is underway. The survey found 96% of Malaysian organizations are either merging or planning to merge their networking and security functions — a response to growing pressure for integration, visibility, and speed.
Vendor consolidation is becoming a strategic priority, with firms citing benefits such as faster support (55%), cost savings (53%), better integration (53%), and improved security posture (51%).
Strategic Shift: From Reaction to Resilience
Fortinet says its platform approach is designed to help Malaysian enterprises transition from reactive defence to resilient, intelligence-driven operations.
“Complexity is now the new battleground in cybersecurity — and AI is both the challenge and the frontline defence,” said Wong. “Speed, visibility, and automation will define who stays ahead.”
About Fortinet
Fortinet® is a global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security. Trusted by over half a million customers worldwide, Fortinet delivers a broad, integrated, and automated portfolio of solutions powered by FortiGuard Labs, its in-house AI threat intelligence division.
The company is also committed to closing the global cybersecurity skills gap through one of the industry’s largest training and certification programs. Learn more at www.fortinet.com.
- TNS News