Security News > 2022 > December > Analyzing Australia’s cyberthreat landscape, and what it means for the rest of the world

Australia has been the victim of damaging cyberattacks in the latter half of this year, with high-profile incidents impacting businesses across critical sectors such as telecoms, healthcare, and government.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre recently confirmed what the media has already been reporting, releasing data that showed cyber-attacks have risen 13% YoY. What makes Australia such an attractive target? And what does this shift mean for the future of other countries around the world?

Our data shows that threat actor groups are changing their behavior and preferred targets, which could be the reason for the rise in attacks seen in Australia.

Australia presents a unique opportunity as threat actors look for new targets: it's an English-speaking nation, with similar working practices and culture to the US and UK. This makes it far easier for cybercriminals to conduct convincing phishing attacks and far more likely that those targeted will fall for the malicious emails landing in their inboxes.

Observable cyber extortion attacks did increase by 8% in Australia and New Zealand between October 2021 and 2022.

Australia will likely be just the start of a shift to new countries, which may not have the cyber maturity of often-targeted countries and that are therefore not as equipped to protect themselves.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/12/13/australia-cyberattacks/