Thailand's Cybersecurity Landscape — The Real Numbers

Before we discuss solutions, let us look at the scale of the problem. These are not hypothetical scenarios — they are documented incidents from Thai and international cybersecurity agencies:

• 70% above global average — Check Point Software Technologies reports that Thailand's cyberattack rate significantly exceeds the worldwide baseline, making it one of the most targeted countries in Southeast Asia.
• 1,002+ incidents in 5 months — The NCSA documented more than a thousand cybersecurity incidents between January and May 2025 alone, encompassing government agencies, state enterprises, and private organizations.
• Phishing dominates the attack landscape — Deceptive emails and fraudulent banking messages remain the primary entry point. Attackers impersonate banks, government agencies, and even internal executives to trick employees into revealing credentials.
• APT groups from foreign states — Advanced Persistent Threat groups, particularly those linked to Chinese state-sponsored operations, have successfully penetrated Thai government networks. Darktrace confirmed that the Royal Thai Police systems were compromised.
• Cambodia-based DDoS attacks — In 2025, coordinated Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks originating from Cambodia targeted Thai government websites, disrupting public services and exposing infrastructure vulnerabilities.

The message is clear: cybersecurity in Thailand is not a future concern — it is a present crisis. And at the center of every organization's digital infrastructure sits the ERP system.

Why ERP Systems Are Prime Targets

An ERP system is not just software — it is the central nervous system of an organization. It connects finance, human resources, procurement, inventory, and operations into a single database. This integration, while powerful for efficiency, also creates a high-value target for attackers.

What ERP Stores	Why Hackers Want It
Financial data (budgets, transactions, bank accounts)	Financial fraud, unauthorized fund transfers, transaction forgery
Employee data (salaries, ID numbers, personal records)	Identity theft, dark web sales, social engineering attacks
Vendor and customer data (contracts, contacts, pricing)	Business Email Compromise (BEC), competitive intelligence theft
Procurement data (purchase orders, invoices, bank details)	Invoice fraud — attackers change bank account numbers on legitimate invoices

A single breach of an ERP system can expose every department's data simultaneously. Unlike isolated applications, an ERP breach is a total compromise — financial records, employee identities, and business relationships all in one attack.

The 5 Most Common Cyber Threats Facing Thai Organizations

Understanding the threat landscape is the first step toward defense. Here are the five attack types that Thai organizations encounter most frequently:

1. Phishing — The Gateway Attack

Phishing remains the number one attack vector in Thailand. Attackers send emails that appear to come from trusted sources — a bank, a government agency, or even a colleague — containing malicious links or attachments. Once an employee clicks, the attacker gains access to credentials, which can be used to enter the ERP system. The sophistication of these attacks has increased dramatically, with some using perfect Thai language and copied letterheads from real organizations.

2. Ransomware — Holding Your Data Hostage

Ransomware attacks encrypt an organization's data and demand payment for the decryption key. For ERP systems, this is catastrophic — imagine losing access to all financial records, inventory data, and HR information simultaneously. Recovery without proper backups can take weeks or months, and some organizations never fully recover. The average ransom demand has increased by over 300% in the past two years.

3. Business Email Compromise (BEC) — Impersonating Executives

BEC attacks are particularly dangerous because they exploit trust rather than technology. Attackers study an organization's hierarchy, then send emails impersonating the CEO or CFO, instructing finance staff to make urgent transfers. Because the instructions appear to come from a superior, employees comply without question. Thai organizations have lost millions of baht to these attacks.

4. SQL Injection — Exploiting Application Vulnerabilities

SQL injection attacks target the database layer of web applications. Attackers insert malicious code into input fields — login forms, search boxes, or URL parameters — to manipulate the database directly. For ERP systems with web interfaces, an unpatched SQL injection vulnerability can give an attacker full access to read, modify, or delete any data in the system.

5. Supply Chain Attacks — Attacking Through Your Partners

Modern organizations are deeply interconnected. Attackers have learned that instead of attacking a well-defended target directly, they can compromise a less-secure vendor or partner and use that access to reach the real target. If your ERP system integrates with supplier portals, payment gateways, or government e-procurement platforms, each connection is a potential entry point.

7 Security Measures Every Organization Needs Today

The threat landscape is serious, but it is not hopeless. Organizations that implement these seven measures significantly reduce their risk:

1. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on All Systems

Two-factor authentication is the single most effective security measure available. Even if an attacker steals a password through phishing, they cannot access the system without the second factor — typically a code from a mobile app or hardware token. Every ERP system, email account, and administrative panel should require 2FA.

2. Implement the Principle of Least Privilege

Every user should have access only to the data and functions they need for their specific role — nothing more. An accounts payable clerk does not need access to HR salary data. A warehouse manager does not need access to financial statements. Role-based access control prevents a single compromised account from exposing the entire system.

3. Maintain a Rigorous Patch Management Schedule

Many successful attacks exploit known vulnerabilities that have already been patched by the vendor — but the organization never applied the update. Establish a regular schedule for applying security patches to your ERP system, operating systems, databases, and all supporting infrastructure. Test patches in a staging environment first, then deploy them promptly.

4. Follow the 3-2-1 Backup Strategy

The 3-2-1 backup strategy is non-negotiable: maintain 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of storage media, with 1 copy stored offsite. Test your backups regularly by performing actual restoration drills. A backup that has never been tested is not a backup — it is a hope.

5. Conduct Regular Employee Security Awareness Training

Technology alone cannot prevent phishing. Employees need regular training to recognize suspicious emails, verify unusual requests (especially those involving money transfers), and report potential security incidents without fear of punishment. Simulated phishing exercises help measure and improve organizational awareness.

6. Monitor Logs and Audit Trails Continuously

Your ERP system generates logs for every transaction, login attempt, and data modification. These logs are useless if nobody reads them. Implement automated monitoring that flags unusual patterns — logins at unusual hours, bulk data exports, changes to bank account numbers, or access from unfamiliar locations. Review audit trails weekly at minimum.

7. Perform Annual Penetration Testing

Hire professional security testers to attempt to breach your systems at least once a year. Penetration testing based on frameworks like the OWASP Top 10 identifies vulnerabilities before real attackers find them. The cost of a penetration test is a fraction of the cost of an actual breach.

Secure vs. Risky ERP — A Side-by-Side Comparison

How does your current ERP system measure up? Use this table as a self-assessment:

Aspect	Risky ERP	Secure ERP
Authentication	Password only — single point of failure	2FA + Single Sign-On (SSO) with session management
Database	Unencrypted — data readable if stolen	Encrypted at rest and in transit (AES-256 + TLS)
Access Control	Everyone accesses everything — no boundaries	Role-based access control with Least Privilege enforcement
Audit	No logs — no way to detect or investigate breaches	Full audit trail for every transaction, login, and data change
Backup	None or irregular — catastrophic in a ransomware attack	Automated 3-2-1 backup with tested disaster recovery plan

If your ERP system falls on the "Risky" side for even two or three of these aspects, your organization is significantly exposed. For a deeper look at ERP security fundamentals, see our comprehensive guide on data security in ERP systems.

Cybersecurity doesn't ask if your organization is ready — it only asks "when," not "if."

- A reminder for every organization operating in the digital age

What This Means for Your Organization

Thailand's cybersecurity crisis is not an abstract policy discussion — it is a daily operational reality. Every organization that stores data digitally, processes financial transactions, or connects to the internet is a potential target. ERP systems, because they centralize the most sensitive data in one place, are among the highest-value targets attackers seek.

The good news is that the majority of successful attacks exploit known vulnerabilities and human error — not zero-day exploits or nation-state-level tools. This means that implementing fundamental security practices — 2FA, least privilege, patching, backups, and training — can prevent the vast majority of incidents.

Saeree ERP is built with security as a foundational principle: role-based access control, full audit trails, encrypted database connections, and compliance with Thai government security standards. But technology is only part of the equation — organizational commitment to security culture is equally critical.

If you are concerned about the security posture of your current ERP system, or if your organization is planning an ERP implementation and wants to ensure security is built in from the start, contact our team for a free security assessment consultation.

References

1. Check Point Software Technologies. "Thailand Cyber Threat Report." https://www.checkpoint.com
2. National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA). "Cybersecurity Incident Report 2025." https://www.ncsa.or.th
3. Darktrace. "Chinese APT Target Royal Thai Police." https://www.darktrace.com