Persisting Cybercriminals Regain Momentum, According to TrendMicro Analysis
In the digital landscape of 2024, Australia and New Zealand found themselves at the forefront of a global cybersecurity news battle. Trend Micro's latest report sheds light on the threats faced by these countries, providing insights into the evolving nature of cybercrime.
Australia ranked 8th globally in terms of router attacks, with approximately 193,000 incidents detected by Trend Micro. This places Australia in a concerning position, as state-aligned actors have been known to use sophisticated techniques to compromise internet-facing routers for anonymization of targeted attacks.
Email threats were another significant concern for Australia in 2024, with nearly 72 million threats encountered. Various groups have targeted cloud environments, apps, and services by abusing exposed credentials, dangling resources, vulnerabilities, and even legitimate tools, posing a continuous threat to digital security.
Cybercriminals have also been ramping up their use of artificial intelligence (AI). The misuse of AI has become a significant concern, with threat actors hiding malware in legitimate AI software, operating criminal Language Models, and selling jailbreak-as-a-service offerings. These offerings allow cybercriminals to trick generative AI bots into answering questions that go against their own policies, primarily for developing malware and social engineering lures.
Cybercriminals have also been using AI to create deeper and more sophisticated attacks, such as the development of deepfake offerings for various malicious purposes. These deepfakes have been used to carry out virtual kidnapping scams, conduct targeted Business Email Compromise (BEC) type impersonation fraud, and bypass Know Your Customer (KYC) checks.
In the first half of 2024, the countries that led among the top ten with the most recorded URL victims were not explicitly listed in the provided search results. However, Australia ranked 10th globally in outbound attacks, with around 259,000 detections of malicious activities originating from within Australia.
New Zealand also experienced a significant number of cyber threats. With 5.4 million instances of malicious URLs being accessed and blocked by Trend Micro products, New Zealand ranked highly in terms of cybersecurity news. A total of 1,450 ransomware incidents were blocked in New Zealand in 2024.
The use of AI by malicious actors is a growing concern, and Trend Micro's ANZ Field CTO, Mick McCluney, stated that the industry must respond by designing security strategies to account for evolving threats. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it is crucial that countries like Australia and New Zealand stay vigilant and adapt to the changing nature of cyber threats.
In addition to the misuse of AI, cybercriminals have been known to exploit major events like the Olympics and national elections to launch targeted attacks. For instance, the APT group Earth Lusca has exploited geopolitical tensions, such as China-Taiwan relations, in their campaigns.
As we move forward, it is essential to remain aware of the ever-evolving cybersecurity threats and to implement strategies that can protect our digital infrastructure. By staying informed and proactive, we can help ensure a safer digital future for Australia, New Zealand, and the world.
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