The Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD) Annual Cyber Threat Report for 2022-23 lays bare Australia’s cyber threat landscape.
Reflecting the global strategic context, this year’s report highlights that Australian governments, critical infrastructure, businesses and households continue to be the target of malicious state and non-state cyber actors.
Key findings from the report include:
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles said: “Recent global and national events have demonstrated the growing threat to Australia by malicious cyber actors.
“The Annual Cyber Threat Report demonstrates how governments, businesses and critical infrastructure networks have been targeted by state and non-state actors, with the aim to destabilise and disrupt.”
According to a statement, the report illustrates the persistent threat that state cyber capabilities pose to Australia.
It also shows that cybercrime remains a major threat to Australians, as cybercriminals continue to adapt their destructive tactics to extract maximum profit from their crimes.
Data breaches also affected millions of Australians in the last financial year and risked ongoing harm through fraud and scams.
Many Australian systems and networks were at risk because they were unpatched and threat actors were quick to exploit critical vulnerabilities, sometimes launching attacks within hours.
Picture: Richard Marles