Australian Signals Directorate report highlights new techniques, trends used by cybercriminals

The annual cyber threat report released by the Australian Signals Directorate on Tuesday, November 19, highlights the ongoing trends and new techniques which cyber criminals are using to scam Australians.

The report signalled the new techniques used by cybercriminals including sophisticated artificial intelligence and fake QR codes or quishing to make people give up sensitive information or download harmful files. The Australian government agency has warned citizens of scammers using technology to dupe them.

ASD also raised concerns over the “shifting tactics” of state-sponsored hackers and cybercriminals who silently infiltrate the computer systems of companies and organisations to avoid being detected and then wait until they decide to attack.

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“State-sponsored cyber operations increase as geostrategic tensions change, while cybercriminals and hacktivists also … remain an ongoing and persistent threat,” said Abigail Bradshaw, the ASD director general, as per a Guardian report.

According to the report released for the financial year of 2023-24, the agency received 87,000 complaints of cybercrime and responded to 1,100 reports. According to Defence Minister Richard Marles, while the number of cybercrime incidents was similar to that of last year, the cost and impact of the incidents have been increasing over time. The average cost of a cybercrime report for an individual was $30,700, while for small businesses the cost has been going up to nearly $50,000.

The ASD report also revealed that 11 per cent of cybercrime incidents targeted vital infrastructure like water, electricity, transport, and gas. The reports included those with malware infections, systems compromised by intruders, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

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Earlier this year in February, ASD partnered with the United States and other nations, criticising China-sponsored criminals who gained access to critical infrastructure in the US amid growing allegations that hacker groups were “pre-positioning” for cyber attacks in future.

“The 2023-24 report highlights an evolution in cyber threats aimed at Australia’s most critical networks and the shifting tactics of both state-sponsored cyber actors and cybercriminals to target these networks,” said Bradshaw.

The report also mentioned cybercriminals using AI and QR codes to create content for scamming people using sophisticated techniques like deepfake videos or audio clips.

(With inputs from agencies)