ASEAN Data Breach Costs Hit Record High as AI-Driven Attacks Rise

The cost of data breaches in ASEAN countries has hit a record high, according to IBM's 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report. The average cost of a data breach for organizations across ASEAN reached US$4.12 million in 2026, up from US$3.67 million a year earlier.

The study found that 29% of ASEAN organizations that experienced malicious breaches reported that the attacks were generated using AI. This is a growing concern as AI continues to lower the cost and increase the speed of cyberattacks.

Organizations that extensively used AI and automation for security recorded an average breach cost of US$3.66 million, compared with US$4.86 million among organizations that did not use these technologies. They also identified and contained breaches 123 days faster.

The financial and infrastructure sectors carry higher breach costs, with the highest average breach cost being in the financial services sector at US$6.53 million.