Proofpoint Strengthens APAC Presence with Opening of New Singapore Office  

Proofpoint, Inc., a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, has announced the expansion of its operations in the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region with the opening of its new Singapore office, which hosts several functions including engineering, sales, marketing, HR as well as a dedicated Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research & Development team. The opening ceremony was attended by Sumit Dhawan, Proofpoint CEO, as well as valued local partners.

Singapore, recognised globally for its technology investments and vibrant ecosystem, continues to be a premier destination for innovation. Proofpoint has chosen Singapore as its regional headquarters and a key international hub for advanced AI capabilities development. This strategic investment comes at a critical time when AI-driven cybersecurity threats are surging throughout the APJ region. Email fraud volume grew in countries such as Japan (35% year-over-year increase) and South Korea (+31%), where generative AI allows attackers to create more convincing and personalised emails in multiple languages. 52% of CISOs in Singapore now recognise generative AI as a security risk to their organisations.

However, AI’s role in cyber defence has also evolved rapidly. Proofpoint is leveraging AI to transform cybersecurity posture in response to evolving threats, where AI can address the crucial challenge of scale in modern cybersecurity through several key areas, including threat detection and prevention, user behaviour analytics, and data protection. In today’s expanding digital workspace, 90% of breaches involve the human element. 7 in 10 users in Singapore still choose to take risks despite 99% understanding that these actions might compromise their organisation’s safety, fuelling the shift for organisations to focus on human-centric security over traditional infrastructure-based defences.

Bringing Industry-Leading Security Solutions to Southeast Asia

The new Singapore office will enable regional customers to adopt Proofpoint’s industry-leading human-centric cybersecurity platform to combat the growing challenges posed by AI-enabled threats. The AI Research & Development team currently comprises more than 20 specialised professionals, including AI researchers, software engineers, big data engineers and cybersecurity experts. This multidisciplinary team is tasked with building and constructing the future of AI-powered defensive platforms that safeguard sensitive data and protect against human-targeted threats.

“AI is the core of modern cybersecurity. Proofpoint has been at the forefront of enabling protection with AI while keeping humans at the centre,” said Sumit Dhawan, CEO of Proofpoint. “Our recent launch of a dedicated data centre in Singapore, coupled with today’s unveiling of our new office, represents a significant milestone in our commitment to Singapore and the region. This investment not only enhances our ability to deliver localised, compliant security solutions but also reinforces our dedication to addressing the unique cybersecurity challenges faced by organisations across Asia-Pacific and Japan.”

“Singapore’s strategic position as a digital hub, along with its world-class infrastructure and skilled talent pool, makes it the ideal location for expanding our operations in the Asia-Pacific region to provide a human-centric cybersecurity platform,” stated George Lee, Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific and Japan at Proofpoint. “By establishing these essential assets in Singapore, particularly the AI Research & Development team, we are ensuring faster response times, enhanced data sovereignty, and improved AI-driven human-centric protection for our customers in this rapidly evolving threat landscape.”

Proofpoint currently has over 4,500 employees globally, with about 70 employees in Singapore at the time of this announcement.

Proofpoint By the Numbers

• Proofpoint protects more than 13.6 million employees across the Asia Pacific and Japan region and more than 1 in 10 of the working population in Singapore.
• Since establishing Singapore as its regional headquarters for the Asia Pacific and Japan region, Proofpoint has significantly expanded its local presence, now employing around 70 staff members in the country.
• Proofpoint acquired a Singapore start-up Dathena in 2022, an innovator in artificial intelligence-powered data protection.
• Proofpoint helps to raise cybersecurity awareness and educate more than 3.5 million employees across the APJ region to drive behaviour change, including about 10 million phishing simulation emails sent in 2024.
• Proofpoint is an Advocate Partner organisation for Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency (CSA)’s ‘SG Cyber Safe’ programme, helping to raise cybersecurity awareness and encourage the adoption of good cybersecurity practices.