David Taylor

Some key highlights from Australian Signals Directorate (ASD)'s Cyber Threat Report 2024–2025: 1. There is a significant rise in cyber incidents and reports: The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) reported that in during 2024-2025 they have responded to over 1,200 major cybersecurity incidents which is a 11% increase from the previous year. 2. There is a steep rise in the financial impact due to cybercrimes: For businesses, the average loss due to cybercrimes is on the rise, Small businesses lost up to $56,571 a 14% increase from last year, Medium business lost up to $97,166 a 55% increase, and Large businesses lost up to $202,691 a 221% increase. It was also reported that an individual average self reported loss was $36,633 3. Critical infrastructure under increasing threat: Critical infrastructures have received notifications of 190 potential malicious cyber activity impacting their network which is a 111$ increase from last year. The Top 3 most common types of activity which led to infrastructure related incidents were: Scanning or Reconnaissance making up 41% DoS/DDoS making up 31% Phishing making up 20% 4. Credential compromise, email attacks and phishing remain the main methods of attack: It was reported that email compromise with no direct financial loss accounted for ~19% of business reports, Business email compromise with financial loss ~15%, identity fraud ~ 11% and phishing emails remains one of the most common attack methods. 5. New technologies are amplifying the risk like AI The report also warns the rise in the use of Generative AI by cybercriminals as they use these tools to automate the analysis of extensive datasets which allows them to find vulnerabilities, they also use generative AI to create content like videos, text, fake voices, websites etc. to help them trick their target easier. 💡 The big moves organisations must take: a. Implement Effective event logging - You can't defend what you can't see b. Manage legacy IT risks - Legacy technology lets threats thrive c. Effective Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) - Shut the back door, choose sercure and verifable technologies d. Start preparing for Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) more details: https://lnkd.in/gCVf9fSq

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Fortian's November 2025 cyber environment update is now available on the website! November saw steady activity across Australia’s cyber landscape, including new government sanctions on North Korea and Russia, emerging AI-enabled threats and several notable breaches affecting local organisations. Check out this month’s update written by SOC analyst Allan Grant on our website: https://lnkd.in/gnbwGb6Z

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The ASD's Australian Cybersecurity report is out and - surprising no one - the situation is still risky, especially if you're in the eastern states from whence 78% of reported incidents originate. Read our analysis here: https://lnkd.in/dEqFYhSM

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📣 As the recent ManageMyHealth incident and NCSC announcements show, New Zealand cannot afford to get complacent about cybersecurity...   ► The ransom hack on New Zealand's largest health portal is being billed as one of the country's biggest cybersecurity incidents - hackers threatening to release more than 400,000 documents stolen from about 126,000 Manage My Health patients if the private company fails to pay $60,000.   ► It's also been a massive period for the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Recently, they took an unprecedented step - proactively reaching out to 26,000 New Zealanders to warn them their devices may be compromised by Lumma Stealer malware. This is the first time they've conducted public outreach at this scale, signalling a fundamental shift toward a more active protective stance.   ► They also released the New Zealand Cyber Threat Report for 2025, and frankly, it makes for sobering reading. A few key findings explain exactly why the NCSC is ramping up their activity: → State-sponsored actors are now actively targeting New Zealand organisations → Cybercriminals have access to increasingly sophisticated tools → Supply chains have become prime attack vectors → Unpatched vulnerabilities continue to provide easy entry points   ► And there's more - they just published new guidance on Secure Integration of #AI in #OperationalTechnology, recognising how rapidly our threat surface is expanding with emerging technologies.   For business leaders, this should be a clear signal. It reminds us that cybersecurity is a strategic business risk that demands board-level attention and investment as the threat environment has escalated to the point where government agencies are moving from reactive to proactive mode.   Examine these in detail (and more) at the National Cyber Security Summit this March 17-18 in Wellington: https://lnkd.in/gWqqzF7h #cyber #cybersecurity #cybersummit2026 #wellingtonnz Brightstar

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#RiskManagement "Critical infrastructure (CI) continues to be a target for state-sponsored cyber actors, cybercriminals and hacktivists. This is due to the sensitive data CI organisations hold and its role in providing services that support Australia’s national resilience, sovereignty and prosperity. " #security #securityriskmanagement #securitymanagement #securityrisks #enterprisesecurity #cybersecurity #physicalsecurity #informationsecurity #digitalsecurity #securityoperations #enterprisesecurityriskmanagement #securityassessment #intelligence #threatlintelligence #risk #riskmanagement #safety #safetyfirst #safetymanagement #safetyassessment #safetyrisks #safetyculture #safetyanalysis #personalsafety #workplacesafety #healthandsafety #hazard #danger #peril #threat #PPE #protectivesafety #workplacesafety #risk #risks #enterpriserisk #enterprisesecurityriskmanagement #intelligence #threatlintelligence #riskmanagement #riskanalysis #riskassessment #riskmanagementframework #operationalriskmanagement #projectriskmanagement #projectrisk #operationalresilience #resilience #operationalrisk #riskintelligence #governance #crisis #crisismanagement #complexity #chaos #crisisleadership #crisisplan #crisismanagementplan #stress #governance #decisionmaking #riskmanagement #riskinformed #securitymanagement #securityriskmanagement #resilience #humanfactors #emergency #disaster #emergencyresponse #travelsecurity #travelsafety #travel #businesstravel #tourism #travelrisks #travelriskmanagement

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