Australia is the tenth most targeted country for phishing attacks
A new report from Zscaler sheds light on a growing number of phishing attacks and the huge increase in attacks targeted and hosted in Australia.
Cloud security specialist Zscaler has published its Zscaler ThreatLabz Phishing Report 2024and there are some alarming statistics about the rise of phishing attacks in Australia.
According to statistics, Australia is the tenth country in the world most attacked by phishing.
However, Australia ranks second in the Asia-Pacific region and Japan, with 29,427,987 attacks, behind only India. In fact, more than 12 per cent of all attacks in the region target Australians or Australian entities, but it’s not just inbound attacks that are on the rise.
Phishing attacks originating in Australia have skyrocketed, with a 479.3 percent increase in attacks carried out on Australian shores; probably not the made-in-Australia future the Labor government has been imagining.
The most attacked sector in Australia is manufacturing, which was subject to 5,984,195 attacks in 2023. Services followed in second place, with 5,776,337.
In terms of brands that phishing attacks purport to come from, ANZ ranks as the 11th most imitated brand. Microsoft, however, is by far the most impersonated: 43 percent of attacks reportedly come from the company.
At the center of many of the attacks is AI-generated content, contributing in part to a 60 percent increase in phishing attacks globally.
“The potential of AI is reshaping the cyber threat landscape and redefining what is possible in the world of cyber attacks, particularly phishing scams. The findings show 29,427,987 phishing attempts in Australia alone, emphasizing the widespread threat posed by this type of attack,” Eric Swift, area vice president for ANZ at Zscaler, said in a statement.
“Phishing remains a persistent threat, and with the emergence of new technologies, it is critical that organizations understand best practices to protect against phishing threats. “The findings show that a proactive zero-trust approach with advanced AI-powered capabilities is imperative to address evolving threats.”
You can read the full report here.
