Sri Lanka recorded 14,960,244 local malware incidents in 2025, placing the country 48th globally for local threat exposure, according to data released by Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky.
The report, drawn from the Kaspersky Security Network, found that 37.4% of Sri Lankan users were targeted by threats spread through removable devices such as USB drives, CDs and DVDs. Worms and file viruses accounted for the majority of these infections, spreading silently through compromised removable media commonly shared in workplaces and educational institutions.
Globally, Kaspersky said it is now detecting around 500,000 new malicious files daily, a 7% increase over 2024. Password-stealing malware detections rose 59% year-on-year, while spyware detections increased 51%.
“Local threats continue to pose a persistent risk to users in Sri Lanka,” said Sam Yan, Kaspersky’s Head of Sales for Asia Emerging Countries. He said the prevalence of USB-based attacks indicates that offline infection vectors remain a critical vulnerability even as most public attention focuses on internet-borne threats.
Kaspersky recommended that users avoid connecting unknown USB devices, keep software and operating systems current, and implement stronger cybersecurity protocols at institutional level.
The findings land at a time when consumer-facing cyber fraud is also escalating in Sri Lanka. SriLankan Airlines this week warned passengers of an impersonation scam run through WhatsApp and unsolicited calls, while Sri Lanka CERT issued an Avurudu-themed online fraud alert. Police separately charged 152 foreign nationals arrested in Chilaw over a cross-border cyberscam operation in February.
