The Asia Pacific (APAC) shipping industry is under siege as artificial intelligence-driven cyber attacks and geopolitical tensions fuel a growing cyber risk landscape in the region.
This is the warning highlighted in the 2025 Cyber Risk Report released by think tank, Aon plc, on Tuesday. The report revealed a 29% year-on-year spike in cyber incidents across the region that is now threatening global freight networks and maritime security. This translated to an accumulated increase of 134% over the past four years from 2020 to 2024, according to the report.
The report underscored the increasing complexity of AI-driven cyber attacks and the prevalence of geopolitical tensions on cyber risks in the region.
Based on Quotient Evaluation (CyQu) scores from 3 226 Aon clients across APAC, the study analysed over 1 400 global cyber events, finding that there had been a 22% surge in insurance claims notifications in 2024. The CyQU is a global e-submission tool that streamlines the cyber insurance intake process and empowers organisations with insights into their exposures and insurability.
AI-powered deepfake attacks triggered a 53% jump in social engineering incidents, with claims in this sub-category soaring 233%. Of the incidents, 56 evolved into reputation-damaging events, slashing affected companies’ shareholder value by an average of 27%. Malware and ransomware comprised 45% of attacks and drove 60% of these reputational hits.
“In 2025, global and regional geostrategic tensions remain a key driver of cyber risk for companies in APAC,” said Adam Peckman, Consulting Head Aon Global Cyber Risk.
“This trend is likely to accelerate with nation-state-backed threat actors continuing to employ cyber campaigns to facilitate conflicts or instigate grey-zone operations for the purposes of economic coercion, corporate espionage, or to harm regional rivals by targeting strategically important economic infrastructure.”
His warning highlights the risk to ports and supply chains amid trade disputes and territorial conflicts.
Geopolitical pressures, including US-China trade wars and South China Sea tensions, amplified vulnerabilities, with hackers exploiting these fault lines, the report warned.
“As cyber threats grow more complex and interconnected, companies need a clearer view of their exposure, stronger alignment between cyber security and insurance strategies, and the tools to make better, data-driven decisions,” said Peckman.
