ASEAN breach costs climb to record as AI attacks intensify, IBM study finds

ASEAN companies are paying more than ever when cyber defences fail, and the latest IBM research suggests artificial intelligence is now amplifying both sides of the contest. The region’s average breach cost climbed to US$4.12 million in 2026, a record high for the sample, even as organisations that used AI and security automation more extensively were able to limit losses more effectively than peers with weaker toolsets.AI is reshaping the economics of cyber riskAccording to crnasia.com, the 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report by the Ponemon Institute, sponsored and analysed by IBM, found that 29 per cent of ASEAN organisations that suffered malicious breaches said the attacks had been generated using AI. That pattern matters because the technology is helping attackers move faster, while also giving defenders a way to shorten investigations and cut the bill when incidents occur.The regional figure rose from US$3.67 million in the previous year, placing ASEAN ninth among the 16…