Opening remarks by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters in meeting with China Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Beijing on 26 February 2025:
Thank you, Minister, for your warm welcome tonight.
It is a pleasure to return to Beijing, after our last visit in 2018. And thank you for your hospitality then, as now, and to a number of people on your side whose faces we recognise across many, many years.
This reciprocates your visit to Wellington last year. Our personal connection, built over many years, enables us to exchange candid perspectives on developments in our long-standing bilateral relationship and to continue to build our mutual understanding.
The New Zealand-China relationship continues to benefit, as you said, from our mutually beneficial and significant trade and economic relationship and the comprehensive, regular two-way exchanges by our people, which are again growing following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our relationship also benefits from a resilient bilateral architecture that has been built up over many years of hard work and commitment by both sides, from regular high-level political exchanges to technical dialogues covering issues from trade and agriculture, to education, science and innovation, and indeed the environment.
Our long-standing connection enables our frank and comprehensive discussions on areas of disagreement, including those that stem from our different histories and different systems. Indeed, it is a sign of healthy relationships that we can and do express disagreement on important issues.
For New Zealand, you will be well aware of our ambition for the Pacific region to be peaceful, prosperous, and focused on Pacific-led institutions and solutions. Our connections to the Pacific are deep, particularly in the Realm of New Zealand which includes the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. Indeed, it’s in the name: Pacific.
Alongside this, our deep and abiding support for the rules-based international order and stable security, defence, and political engagement in the Indo-Pacific region are fundamental to our interests.
Turning to the global picture, we are meeting at a time of great uncertainty and strain, with the conflict in Ukraine having just entered its fourth year, and the Middle East turning to rebuild and addressing the immense humanitarian need on the ground.
Our dialogue with China on bilateral, regional and international issues is more important than ever. We encourage China to use its influence, weight and role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to work towards resolution of global issues.
We look forward to discussing these matters further with you this evening and in the following years.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2025 – In a game-changing move for the corporate learning and development industry Asia’s fastest-growing mentoring platform SpeakIn has partnered with International Coaching Federation (ICF), the world’s foremost coaching standards organization.
This strategic alliance aims to establish Asia’s most extensive and globally recognized coaching ecosystem, catering to corporate professionals, executives, and business leaders.
With over 62,000 members across 157 countries, ICF is synonymous with excellence in coaching certification and accreditation. By integrating ICF’s globally respected coaching standards into its programs, SpeakIn will empower businesses to access curated coaching and leadership training tailored to their evolving demands.
Why This Matters for Business Leaders and Corporates In today’s rapidly changing business environment, staying ahead requires more than just technical expertise—it demands agile leadership and actionable learning. SpeakIn, with its robust network of 27,000 plus global experts, thought leaders, and corporate coaches, has already transformed how companies build coaching competencies.
This collaboration ensures that C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, and high-potential professionals can now access top-tier, credentialed coaches through SpeakIn’s renowned FindACoach platform, which provides 1:1 coaching and virtual and in-person group speaker sessions.
Bridging the Corporate Skilling Gap Despite three of the world’s top five economies being in Asia, the majority of corporate skilling frameworks are designed basis western toolkit. SpeakIn’s mission is to bridge this gap by offering world-class, regionally tailored coaching and mentoring solutions specific to Asian context.
Over 1.5 million professionals across eight countries have already leveraged the SpeakIn advantage. Now, this ICF-backed initiative will further solidify its position as the go-to corporate skilling partner for global enterprises.
Key Focus Areas of the SpeakIn-ICF Partnership
Global Recognition for Coaches: Elevating coaching as a profession by providing certified, high-quality training and global exposure.
Human-Tech Synergy: Seamlessly integrating human interaction with cutting-edge technology to make elite coaching accessible worldwide.
Corporate Integration: Partnering with 1,000+ leading enterprises to embed ICF-certified programs into internal coaching ecosystems.
Thought Leadership Expansion: Leveraging platforms like Asia Dialogues to set industry benchmarks and drive global discussions on leadership excellence.
Help organisations build self-sustaining and scalable coaching cultures.
What This Means for the Future of Executive Learning “With the rise of AI, absolute digitization, and evolving corporate dynamics, coaching has become the cornerstone of sustainable professional growth. Our partnership with ICF positions SpeakIn at the forefront of this revolution in Asia and beyond,” said Deepshikha Kumar, Founder of SpeakIn.
“This collaboration is not just about certification; it’s about creating a lasting impact in corporate learning. By leveraging our extensive network and expertise, we are enabling professionals to reach their highest potential with globally recognized coaching,” added Praveen Kumar, Co-founder of SpeakIn.
“Quality and Standards are what makes coaching powerful and empowering. Excellence and integrity are at the heart of each coaching engagement. Any entity promoting and providing coaching must adhere to the highest standards in the field – to protect its clients and to deliver lasting results. This partnership will enable many organizations to engage with a trusted partner for transformation and thriving” said Magdalena Nowicka Mook, ICF’s CEO.
A disruptor in the enterprise-learning platform space, SpeakIn empowers its users to access the highest quality coaches and mentors in a flexible manner. Big names such as former KPMG CEO Richard Rekhy, bestselling author Mimi Nicklin, TEDx speaker Friska Wirya and other celebrated experts like former Softbank India MD, Manoj Kohli and Dr. Timothy Low, former CEO of Gleneagles Hospitals, Singapore, have shared their expertise with professionals seeking insightful learning.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2025 – On February 20, the “Exploring New Growth” OPPO Ads Connect 2025 Southeast Asia Salon was successfully held in Singapore alongside the launch of OPPO Ads’ new Device+ Marketing Solution. This is OPPO Ads’ first platform-level event abroad, showcasing its strategic capabilities, creative accomplishments, market insights, and marketing product solutions. Attended by marketers, service providers, developers, industry practitioners, and other stakeholders, the salon promoted industry development and innovation. Expert speakers sparked discussion of leading-edge market development opportunities and helped to foster commercial growth.
An important link between OPPO Ads and partners, Connect provides a new platform that aggregates multiple ecosystems. The salon event marks the first public engagement of OPPO Ads in the Southeast Asian market and is an important part of its globalization strategy. During the event, Head of OPPO Ads Overseas Sales and Operations Tim Chen, Product Director of OPPO Ads Kevin Wu, and AM Director of OPPO Ads Gavin Zou shared their perspectives on the long-term commercial capability building and innovative marketing solutions of OPPO Ads, and empowering advertisers in user acquisition, efficiency improvement, and long-term operations with a one-stop solution.
Enhancing the Terminal OS Ecosystem and Unlocking New Market Vitality
Tim Chen stated that in addition to solidifying its foothold in the Southeast Asian market, OPPO has continued to roll out significant advancements through its robust product matrix, channel strengths, and user influence. The Find X8 series has doubled its sales compared to its predecessor. Furthermore, OPPO’s international shipments continue to surge, securing the top spot in Southeast Asian markets in 2024. These achievements underscore OPPO’s strong market position and sway in Southeast Asia.
At the same time, OPPO Ads is becoming the preferred platform for international advertisers aiming to expand due to its unique commercial marketing value for three reasons:
First, with its competitive pricing, OPPO Ads uses more proactive scenarios to help advertisers reach a large number of users more efficiently and maximize the advertising value.
Second, advertisers can easily transition from reach to conversion, enhancing user value throughout the life cycle, and greatly boosting user engagement and retention by utilizing OPPO’s robust OS ecosystem.
Finally, OPPO Ads offers a range of marketing solutions for advertisers in different industries and with different needs. These span pre-load cooperation and targeted delivery, as well as light-touch scenarios and deep engagements, satisfying the unique needs of advertisers and significantly increasing delivery efficiency and effectiveness.
OPPO Ads has dramatically expanded commercial use cases and traffic supply as the business has grown. In 2024, OPPO Ads’ request volume increased by 300% with the introduction of new commercial applications such as PUSH, global search listing, Shelf card, and local video Feeds, with 140 million monthly active users on Southeast Asia’s OS. In 2025, OPPO Ads will see significant advancements and growth in terms of shipment and traffic, as well as commercialization capabilities. The vast active user base provides a broad space for advertising placement and brings more marketing opportunities to advertisers.
Unlocking The “Retention” Code Through Product Iteration and Upgrade Hard Power
At the commercial product level, Kevin Wu introduced that OPPO Ads is leveraging cutting-edge technologies and innovation to iterate and update product capabilities across three key dimensions:
Marketing Platform Capability Upgrade: OPPO Ads has comprehensively upgraded its marketing platform to include new features like splash screens, enabling advertisers to engage users across all scenarios and manage all types of promotions. During the mid-investment phase, the platform supports RTA (Real-Time API) optimization and utilizes multiple bidding strategies to help ensure backend conversion costs, effectively increasing backend ROI by over 10%. In the post-advertising phase, enhanced attribution capabilities and OS data monitoring cater to advertisers’ needs for effect attribution, making marketing results quantifiable.
Programmatic Ad Efficiency Improvements: OPPO Ads has intensified efforts to boost the effectiveness of programmatic ads, facilitating DSP (demand-side platform) participation and optimizing advertising features across the board, greatly increasing exposure, winning bids, and engagement. It also allows DSP access to all traffic, leading to more than a 200% increase in request volume.
PUSH Marketing Solution: OPPO Ads has explored the diverse applications of system scenarios and built a variety of commercial capabilities based on PUSH capabilities. Through capability upgrades such as “sticky on the top” and empowerment of style rights, the click-through rate and backend effects were greatly improved.
Along with offering advertisers more effective marketing options to improve target user reach, these iterations have helped OPPO’s business expand in terms of technology and innovation.
Device+: A Solution for One-Stop User Management
During the event, Gavin Zou unveiled the Device+ Marketing Solution, designed to help advertisers efficiently acquire large numbers of high-quality users, conduct user operations on the OPPO platform, and expand business boundaries. Based on OPPO’s massive mobile Internet ecosystem, Device+ offers global clients a one-stop user management service through preload, advertising, and ecosystem cooperation. It covers new user acquisition, user activity improvement, and user conversion, among other things, to meet clients’ user operation needs at various stages.
Device+ preload cooperation: OPPO Ads can reach 24 million new device users in Southeast Asia annually through preload and PAI services. The services streamline the registration process, offer a special quick open feature for notifications, and increase the activation rates by over 20% by detecting the activation status of preload apps on the device side and promptly engaging with users.
Device+ APP distribution: For users who have not installed the application, OPPO can flexibly reach them through effect advertising, and based on the system’s unique ADD download capability, we improve download and installation efficiency, as well as overall user acquisition efficiency by more than 30%.
Device+ massive touchpoints: With the help of system-level data insights and user churn warning models, OPPO can activate each potential user promptly, reducing user churn rate by 10%, and optimizing network and application performance through LinkBoost and HyperBoost to improve user experience.
Device+ pre-positioning: User conversion is one of the important indicators that advertisers care about in long-term management. Using OPPO’s unique system scenarios, users can use services without opening apps, such as search listing, shelf cards, and OPUSH, which attracts users as soon as they see them, improving user retention, transaction conversion rate, and click-through rates.
Future Outlook: Collaborating for Long-Term Success
The OPPO Ads Connect 2025 Southeast Asia Salon marks a significant step for OPPO Ads in the Southeast Asian market and serves as a vibrant platform for industry exchanges. During the roundtable, Jenny Wang, OPPO Ads Sales Director of Southeast Asia Area, Nita Wang, OPPO Ads Sales Director, and guests from leading companies such as Agoda, AIDC, DTI and AppsFlyer exchanged insights on Southeast Asian industry trends and marketing needs. They identified key challenges, strategized effective solutions, and discussed leveraging OPPO’s comprehensive advertising solutions to enhance user acquisition and user engagement.
This event demonstrates OPPO Ads’ innovative marketing value, outstanding OS system capabilities, and diversified solutions in commercial marketing, providing advertisers with more comprehensive support and more boundless business opportunities. Whether it is the development of emerging markets or the deep cultivation of mature markets, OPPO Ads is helping clients grow their businesses.
Looking ahead, OPPO Ads will continue to enhance its commercial capabilities and collaborate with ecosystem partners to explore new cooperative opportunities and promote ongoing industry growth and prosperity.
For more information, please follow the official OPPO Ads accounts on Facebook and Linkedin.
Hashtag: #OPPOAds
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Roman Blinds Enhances Customer Experience With Quick Quotes, Customisation, and Effortless Ordering
Roman Blinds Direct, a leading blind supplier with a strong hold over the industry for the last 20 years, launched its brand-new website on 24 February 2025. The website is a sign of the commitment of the company towards its customers so that they can enjoy a streamlined shopping experience by providing a fully customisable selection of blinds and curtains. There’s an option for every customer.
The brand-new website offers customers the best blinds shopping experience while providing high-quality fabrics and smart integration in their products. Customers don’t need to wait even for a few seconds to get their quote once they have selected their preferred fabric, colour, and measurement options.
Key Features of the New Website
The main motivation behind the new website was user convenience and an intuitive shopping experience. Some of the standout features include:
Instant Quotes with a Few Clicks: Unlike traditional online blind stores, with Roman Blinds Direct, you can receive a quote for your customised selection in just a few simple steps. Once you have selected the desired fabric, colour, measurements, fitting type, lining options, and cord side, you will get a quote immediately. If you are satisfied with your selection and the quote, you can place your order and expect a delivery right at your doorstep.
Full-Customisation Options: With the new website, you do not need to settle for anything less, as customers have the flexibility to design their blinds exactly how they want.
Measurement: Enter the desired width and height.
Fitting Type: Choose between inside or outside fit.
Lining Options: Standard, thermal, blockout, or no lining.
Cord Placement: Left-hand side, right-hand side, or motorised control.
Motorisation for Effortless Control: Customers can also opt for a motorised feature for a smart experience. They get to select a rechargeable battery or a 240V power supply and their preferred remote controller for easy operation.
Enhancing Customer Experience The revamped website is not only made to enhance the purchasing process but also to ensure a smooth customisation of blinds and curtains to satisfy the customers. Roman Blinds Direct remains committed to providing only high-quality products and services to customers through a website that is easy to use and informative.
“With the instant quotes, detailed customisation options, and a streamlined ordering process, our customers get an absolutely seamless and hassle-free blinds shopping experience from start to finish,” says Bernie Dalzel, Owner of Roman Blinds Direct.
About Roman Blinds Direct Roman Blinds Direct is known for its high-quality, customisable, and motorised blinds for the last 2 decades. The company ensures that your homes and offices are functional while not compromising on style. With a strong, dedicated team to meet the requirements of its customers, Roman Blinds continues to improve its services.
For more information on stylish and functional blinds and curtains, visit their website.
[embedded content]
Media Release on 26 February 2025
Media Contact Bernie Dalzel, Roman Blinds Direct Email: bernie@romanblindsdirect.co.nz Phone: 07 847 8829 Website: https://romanblindsdirect.co.nz/ Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5fzarvcl4A
Wednesday 26 February 2025 (Queenstown, New Zealand) — Queenstown businesses and households are invited to explore practical ways to save money, become more energy efficient, and decarbonise with the return of Electrify Queenstown in May.
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, Destination Queenstown, with support from Queenstown Business Chamber of Commerce, will present a three-day programme designed to innovate and inspire change in the Queenstown Lakes.
With principal sponsor Aurora Energy onboard for the second year, Electrify Queenstown promises to deliver an electric experience for the Queenstown community.
Mat Woods, Destination Queenstown Chief Executive, says this year’s expanded programme caters to tourism operators, business owners, homeowners and anyone curious about making the switch to enable fully electric heating, cooking and transport.
“Electrify Queenstown will share ideas and innovations to support businesses and households to electrify, save money and decarbonise. We’re excited about the win-win potential of electrification in supporting a vibrant, growing economy while protecting the environment for future generations,” he said.
The opening day on Monday 26 May will take stage at Skyline Queenstown, a trailblazer in tourism innovation and electrification.
Queenstown Lakes District Mayor, Glyn Lewers, will open with a welcome address followed by keynote speaker Saul Griffith — globally acclaimed author and entrepreneur sharing insights on why we must electrify and switch to renewable technology. An inspirational line up of speakers includes industry experts, policy makers and innovators who will present both the challenges and the vast potential of electrification from an economic, environmental and social perspective.
Sharon Fifield, Queenstown Business Chamber Chief Executive, said, “It’s important, in what has recently been a tough economic climate, that any changes made in your business don’t sacrifice your bottom line. We’re thrilled to have experts joining Electrify Queenstown to share the benefits and opportunities that come with electrifying a business including cost savings, improved productivity, and emissions reductions.”
On the second day, a full programme at the Queenstown Events Centre will spark conversations about the opportunities for businesses and households with electrification, and innovations in electric transport. A tradeshow exhibition will display new technology, low rate loans and exclusive deals, plus the opportunity to join interactive workshops led by experts in electrification and renewable energy. The community evening session from 6pm will focus on the energy transition, how to electrify your home and the role of electrification in community resilience.
The third and final day will involve immersive electric experiences, sharing the very best in tourism innovation and technology, from local operators and global leaders.
Lines company Aurora Energy is proud to once again be the principal sponsor of the Electrify Queenstown event.
Richard Fletcher, Aurora Energy Chief Executive, said, “The growth of this event from one day to three days highlights the increasing demand and interest in electrification within our region. Aurora Energy is committed to ensuring that our network is ready to enable the future electricity and technology choices of consumers.
“In supporting events such as these we hope we can play a part helping local businesses and communities be informed about the benefits of electricity, whether it is supplied from the national grid or generated and stored locally. We look forward to meeting with those attending, and discussing how we can work together towards a sustainable, efficient, and resilient future.” Richard said.
Electrify Queenstown will take place over three days from 26 – 28 May 2025. Registrations are open for individual sessions, a day pass, or for the full three-day event.
Monday 26 May 2025: Setting the stage for electrification (Skyline Queenstown) Tuesday 27 May 2025: Electrification in action (Queenstown Events Centre) Wednesday 28 May 2025: Electric experiences (Details coming soon)
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2025 – Dofo Tea is thrilled to announce the launch of its premium Phoenix Dancong tea, a rare and exquisite tea variety that captures the essence of China’s rich tea heritage. Sourced from the high-altitude Phoenix Mountain in Chaozhou, Guangdong, this tea represents the perfect fusion of tradition, craftsmanship, and natural flavor.
Known as the “noble of tea” and celebrated for its aromatic complexity, Phoenix Dancong tea has been a hallmark of Chinese tea culture for centuries. With this launch, Dofo Tea invites tea enthusiasts worldwide to experience the unparalleled charm of this ancient tea variety at Dofo Tea.
Upholding the traditions of tea culture and exquisite handcrafted techniques, Dofo Tea’s official website (https://dofotea.com/) offers high-quality Chinese tea leaves, tea ware, and a wealth of tea culture content—highlighting the distinctive flavor of Phoenix Dancong tea and the time-honored art of Chaozhou Gongfu tea.
Phoenix Dancong Tea: A Fusion of Quality and Heritage
Dofo Tea’s signature Phoenix Dancong tea is grown at 1,400 meters on Phoenix Mountain in Chaozhou, preserving centuries-old natural flavors. Celebrated since the late Southern Song Dynasty for its rich aroma and unique taste, each handpicked leaf is processed using time-honored methods that reflect a blend of family legacy and artisanal craftsmanship.
In 2024, a landmark study—”Phoenix Tea: A New Species of Guangdong Tea Plants,” published in China Tea (Vol. 46, Issue 12, 2024)—confirmed, after extensive research on Phoenix Mountain, that Phoenix Dancong tea is an independent new species.
Today, Dofo Tea’s website not only offers these premium teas for purchase but also provides in-depth insights into their history and flavor, catering to the diverse palates of tea enthusiasts.
Chaozhou Gongfu Tea: Slowing Down Life to Savor the Classics
As a representative of traditional Chinese tea culture, Chaozhou Gongfu tea has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. More than just a tea ceremony, Chaozhou Gongfu tea offers a spiritual experience and a form of cultural art—a way to slow down and cleanse the mind amid the pace of modern life.
At Dofo Tea, customers can find not only a curated selection of Phoenix Dancong tea but also tea ware that reflects the essence of Chaozhou Gongfu tea culture. Whether it’s elegant tea cups or traditional teapots and charcoal stoves, Dofo Tea provides a one-stop shopping experience that enables every tea lover to fully immerse themselves in the art of Chaozhou Gongfu tea.
Dofo Tea’s Mission: Global Dissemination of Chinese Tea Culture
Since its inception, Dofo Tea has steadfastly balanced traditional handcrafted production with the modern propagation of tea culture. Through its official website, the brand showcases the allure of Chaozhou Gongfu tea to tea enthusiasts worldwide. In addition to engaging tea lovers online, Dofo Tea organizes live tea art courses, tea garden tours, and other complementary activities—promoting an ancient tea culture that is not only about tea but also a lifestyle rooted in Phoenix Mountain, symbolizing health, elegance, and tranquility.
Hashtag: #DofoTea
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Auckland Transport (AT) is calling for input from the public over proposed changes to on-street parking and kerbside spaces in the city centre. These changes are designed to make it easier to live, visit and do business in the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau.
From today people can have their say about changes in the Auckland city centre that would increase the number of pick-up/drop-off spaces, mobility parks, taxi stands, loading zones and parking spaces for motorcycles, bikes and scooters.
Waitematā Local Board Chairperson Genevieve Sage is encouraging people to have their say about the proposed changes.
“Although AT can’t add more kerb space to our already crowded roads, we can all have a say in what our existing kerb space is used for in central Auckland. We are keen to go back to basics and designate kerbside spaces to those who need it the most,” she says.
“And while AT regularly makes small changes to kerb spaces, it’s now time to do a comprehensive review to ensure these spaces meet Aucklander’s needs today, and well into the future.”
AT’s Group Manager of Transport Network Planning and Policy Andrew McGill says the proposed changes have been strongly influenced by feedback AT receives about the availability of city centre parking.
“Aucklanders have told us they want more spaces in the city centre for quick stops, pick-ups and drop-offs and it’s pretty universal feedback from residents, business owners, delivery drivers and tradies,” Mr McGill says.
“We’ve also heard people want better access for being dropped off for a night out at the Civic Theatre or Aotea Centre near Queen Street’s arts quarter.
“The proposals we’re seeking feedback on have been designed to address the challenges we’ve heard from people living, working and visiting the city centre.
“We have also looked at options for increasing the number of mobility parks on city centre streets to make it easier for people who have more limited transport choices.
“By making these small and low-cost changes to Auckland’s quick stop parking spaces we can make our city more fit-for-purpose for popular services such as affordable rideshare, food delivery apps, and our never-ending online purchases,” Mr McGill says.
“Public consultation is now underway. Dozens of the city centre’s business leaders, residents, workers, couriers, and other stakeholders have helped shape the proposal that we’re now sharing with everyone for their feedback.
“We are listening and keen to respond to what Aucklanders tell us is important to them for kerbside space in the city centre,” he says.
“Tell us how you would use this precious roadside space. What is best for your needs?”
Feedback will be used to map out a multi-year plan called Room to Move in the City Centre. The plan will include short-term improvements before City Rail Link opens, along with some longer-term ideas which will be developed further. Public consultation is open until 30 March 2025.
61% of the time hackers exploit new vulnerabilities within 2 days – compared to what can take the average organization 120-150* days to apply a patch
SonicWall detected 210,258 ‘never-before-seen’ malware variants – 637 each day
In APAC, Malware (-6%), intrusion attempts (-4%), and cryptojacking (-39%) are down, while IoT attacks have surged by 109%
Ransomware intensifies in North America (+8%) and explodes in LATAM (+259%)
Malware trended up 8% YoY, including a massive 92% spike in May alone
IoT attacks (+124%) and encrypted threats (+93%) continue to climb globally
Identity, cloud, and credential compromise account for 85% actionable alerts
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2025 – SonicWall today released the 2025 SonicWall Annual Cyber Threat Report, revealing a continued onslaught of cyberattacks on small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Once exclusively targeting large enterprises, threat actors now use more efficient targeting and AI-driven attacks making it clear that SMBs and organizations of all sizes can’t fight this battle alone — relying on the expertise of a trusted Managed Service Provider (MSP) to defend at-risk revenue and protect the integrity of brands and organizations.
SMBs are facing a storm of cyber threats, as attackers leverage automation, AI, and advanced evasion techniques to evade traditional defenses. These evolving tactics make it nearly impossible for businesses to defend themselves without dedicated cybersecurity expertise. As attack surfaces expand and the time to exploit vulnerabilities shrinks, SMBs must prioritize proactive security measures.
“Threat actors are moving at an unprecedented pace, exploiting new vulnerabilities within days, while we’re observing that it takes some organizations 120 to 150 days to apply a critical patch,” said President and CEO Bob VanKirk. “Now more than ever, businesses need the expertise of an MSP/MSSP backed by with real-time threat monitoring and SOC capabilities. Legacy security solutions are no longer enough, businesses must adopt a new mindset to stay ahead of modern cyber threats.”
The report provides insight, in particular for SMBs, and highlights why businesses of all sizes shouldn’t go it alone in the fight against cybercrime. SonicWall is aggressively growing our network of managed service providers to defend SMBs against the ever-evolving threat actors.
“With the increasing speed and sophistication of cyber threats, we needed a partner that could provide real-time threat intelligence and proactive security,” said Nick Sabatini, Vice President of Managed Services at Ubeo. “Ubeo is focused on best-in-class partners that bring innovation and flexibility to meet our customers’ needs, and SonicWall’s SOC services allow us to deliver 24/7 monitoring and rapid threat response, ensuring our customers stay protected without the burden of managing security alone. Their expertise and advanced security solutions empower us to protect businesses against today’s relentless cyberattacks. We’ve seen firsthand how SonicWall’s expanded portfolio and global security reach have helped us better protect our clients and respond to the increasingly sophisticated threat landscape.”
Cyber Threats Surge, Businesses at Risk
SonicWall intelligence found that on average, companies were under critical attack – the type of attack most likely to deplete business resources – for 68 days. Ransomware continues to rise, increasing 8% in North America and surging 259% in Latin America. Malware spiked 8% year-over-year, while IoT attacks jumped 124% and encrypted threats climbed 93%.
The 2025 SonicWall Mid-Year Cyber Threat Report provides insight on a range of threats, including:
AI Automation Tools Lower Barrier for Entry While Increasing Attack Complexity – Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) attacks became a critical cybersecurity concern in 2024, marked by a dramatic 452% increase compared to 2023.
Staggering Spike in Business Email Compromise (BEC) Attacks – Nearly one-third of all reported cyber events were BEC attacks, up dramatically from only 9% in 2023.
The Escalation of Ransomware Attacks in 2024 – Ransomware was far and away the biggest threat to the healthcare industry, utilized in 95% of all breaches in this sector.
Living Off the Land Binaries (LOLBins): No Laughing Matter – LOLBins are integral to fileless malware campaigns, where attackers utilize native system tools to avoid leaving traditional artifacts, thus evading detection by conventional signature-based solutions.
Cyber threats in APAC are shifting: Malware (-6%), intrusion attempts (-4%), and cryptojacking (-39%) are down, while IoT attacks have surged by 109%.Malware remains a major concern, with APAC accounting for nearly 20% of global malware attacks.
“The data in this year’s threat report underscores a disturbing reality: threat actors are exploiting vulnerabilities at lightning speed, while organizations take far too long to respond,” said SonicWall Executive Director of Threat Research Douglas McKee. “Our findings indicate that organizations struggle to keep their businesses safe from the ever-present cyber threats, and the data that we gather paints a clear picture of the growing challenges they face. From ransomware surges to the rapid rise in IoT and encrypted threats, businesses are increasingly at risk.”
“Threat actors are moving faster than ever, exploiting vulnerabilities with unprecedented speed. As outlined in the 2025 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report, to stay ahead, cybersecurity professionals must not only match but surpass this pace, and they will need help to do it. Leveraging real-time threat intelligence, automation, and proactive defense strategies will help counteract emerging threats before they escalate,” said SonicWall Vice President of Sales, APJ Debasish Mukherjee.
SonicWall’s patented Real-Time Deep Memory InspectionTM (RTDMITM) technology identified a total of 210,258 ‘never-before-seen’ malware variants. The threat landscape remains complex, with over 630 strains of new variants discovered each day.
To learn more about SonicWall and get the complete 2025 SonicWall Mid-Year Cyber Threat Report, please visit www.sonicwall.com/threat-report.
*As cited in Security Intelligence:How Do You Measure the Success of Your Patch Management Efforts?
Hashtag: #SonicWall
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
