The latest report from the (Australian Government) Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) show close to a 25% increase in notifiable data breaches resulting from ransomware incidents.
The Australian Government agency received 446 data breach notifications for the reporting period January to June 2021.
Top 5 Industry Sectors
- Health service providers
- Financial (inc. superannuation)
- Legal, accounting & management services
- Australian Government
- Insurance
Interestingly, 43% of all data breaches resulted from a cyber security incident:
- 30% – Phishing (compromised credentials)
- 27% – Compromised or stolen credentials
- 24% – Ransomware
- 9% – Hacking
- 5% – Brute-force attack
- 5% Malware
Over two-thirds of the data breach notifications resulted from malicious behaviour:
- 65% – Malicious or criminal attacks
- 30% – Human error
- 5% – System faults
You can download the latest Notifiable Data Breaches Report here.
What you can do to minimise the threat of a malicious cyber-attack?
A Security Lifecycle Review (SLR) is a good first step to access and analyse your firm’s computer systems and network to pinpoint potential weak spots. It highlights:
- Which applications are in use, and the potential risks to exposure
- Specific details on ways adversaries are attempting to breach your network
- Comparison data for your organisation, versus that of your industry peers
- Actionable intelligence – key areas you can focus on immediately to reduce your risk exposure.
