TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Trend Micro (趨勢科技) reported on Monday (Dec. 16) that ransomware groups have shifted their operational models, targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan. The cybersecurity firm noted a significant change in tactics, with hackers moving away from phishing emails and using stolen account details to infiltrate victim systems.
Trend Micro explained that ransomware groups now frequently combine malicious ads to steal information, using data from corporate networks for subsequent extortion attempts. According to their statistics, nearly 90% of targeted ransomware incidents in Taiwan during 2024 focused on SMEs, indicating that these businesses will remain prime targets.
Rover Chien (簡勝財), a senior technical consultant at Trend Micro, stated that attacking SMEs allows the use of existing tools and often yields effective results. In its 2025 cybersecurity annual forecast report, Trend Micro predicted that hackers will continue leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate attack efficiency and expand their reach.
The firm identified AI agents as a target for hackers, noting vulnerabilities in AI systems that could be exploited to perform harmful or unauthorized actions. Rob Hung (洪偉淦), Trend Micro's Taiwan general manager, highlighted that advances in generative AI will make cyberattacks more covert and efficient. Hackers are expected to fully develop AI applications by 2025.
