In January 2025, Papua New Guinea’s Internal Revenue Commission was hit by a cyberattack that shut down its entire tax administration system for nearly two weeks. Phones went dead. Emails stopped. Sensitive financial data belonging to businesses across the country was potentially exposed.
It wasn’t a one-off. In 2021, PNG’s Department of Finance was crippled by ransomware. In February 2025, the Bank of PNG suffered its own cyber incident. And just weeks ago, Samoa’s Computer Emergency Response Team formally warned the Pacific region about APT40—a Chinese state-backed hacking group actively targeting Pacific Island networks.
This is the reality of doing business in PNG in 2025.
The Region Is Under Attack
The Asia-Pacific region now attracts more cyberattacks than anywhere else on earth—34% of all global incidents in 2024, according to IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index. Ransomware, business email compromise, phishing, and state-sponsored espionage are all rising sharply.
For PNG businesses, this isn’t background noise. It’s your operating environment.
The Threats You Need to Know
Ransomware is the most destructive. Attackers encrypt your data and demand payment to restore it—often after stealing it first. The average recovery cost globally now exceeds $4.9 million, excluding the ransom itself. Recovery takes weeks. Some businesses never fully recover.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is the most financially damaging scam targeting businesses today. Attackers impersonate a CEO, supplier, or finance contact and redirect payments. No malware needed—just a convincing email. The FBI estimates BEC has caused over $50 billion in global losses.
Phishing remains the most common entry point for attacks. One click on a malicious link can hand attackers the keys to your entire network. In PNG’s mobile-heavy, social media-driven business culture, the risk is amplified.
Why PNG Businesses Are Especially at Risk
Three factors make PNG businesses more vulnerable than most:
Infrastructure constraints- Intermittent connectivity and bandwidth limitations mean security patches get skipped, cloud-based protections don’t always work reliably, and incident response takes far longer than it should.
Limited local expertise- Qualified cybersecurity professionals are scarce in PNG. When something goes wrong, getting the right help quickly is difficult—and attackers know it.
The “too small to target” myth- Automated tools scan the entire internet continuously, looking for vulnerable systems. Your size doesn’t protect you. A Cisco study found that 56% of Asia-Pacific SMBs experienced a cyber incident in the past year. Of those, 75% lost customer data.
What's Changing
PNG launched its National Cyber Security Strategy in 2024. Data protection regulations are tightening. Businesses that handle customer data, financial records, or government contracts will increasingly be expected to demonstrate minimum security standards.
Getting ahead of this isn’t just about compliance—it’s about protecting your business, your customers, and your reputation.
Where to Start
Most successful cyberattacks exploit a small set of basic vulnerabilities: weak passwords, unpatched software, untrained staff, and no backup plan. Fixing these doesn’t require a massive budget. It requires a structured approach and the right guidance.
The businesses that fare best aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest IT departments. They’re the ones that take cybersecurity seriously before an incident forces them to.
Papua New Guinea’s digital economy is growing. So is the threat. The question is whether your business is keeping pace.
Ready to Take Action?
Sprint Networks is hosting SecurePNG—a practical, hands-on cybersecurity workshop designed specifically for PNG business owners and IT managers.
You’ll walk away knowing exactly where your business is exposed and what to do about it.
Register for the SecurePNG Workshop →
Seats are limited. Don’t wait for an incident to force your hand.