Nearly half of Aussie internet users smashed by scammers last year
The Cybercrime in Australia: 2024 report, released by the Australian Institute of Criminology, found that 47 per cent of respondents experienced cybercrime over the last 12 months.
Online abuse and harassment was the most common type of cybercrime, sitting at 26.8 per cent.
This was followed by identity crime and misuse (21.9 per cent), malware (20.6 per cent), and fraud and scams (9.5 per cent).
A quarter of respondents also reported experiencing a data breach.
The report found only about a quarter of Aussies were regularly updating their passwords, including emails, banking, online stores and social media.
About the same amount of people used a secure password manager, while more than 50 per cent of respondents reported using a different password for online secure accounts like banking.
'Many respondents are not taking simple but important steps to improve their online safety,' the report stated.
Some of the most common passwords used at work include 'password', '123456', 'qwerty' and 'boobies', according to NordVPN.
Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security Tony Burke said the research would help ensure the government's response to cybercrime was 'evidence-based, targeted, and effective'.
'Remember these three simple steps to stay safe online – always install the latest software updates, use unique passphrases, and enable multi-factor authentication wherever it's available,' Mr Burke said.
The reminder follows the federal government's 'Act Now. Stay Secure' campaign, which aims to arm Aussies with online safety strategies.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in May claimed that cybercriminals viewed Australia as 'lucrative and underprepared', citing a conversation between a hacker and ABC's John Lyons in a 2023 Four Corners episode.
'Australians are the most stupidest humans alive … and they have a lot of money for no reason, a lot of money and no sense at all,' the hacker reportedly said over the encrypted app Telegram.
The hacker claimed he was part of REvil, a Russian cybercrime gang, and alleged REvil were involved in the hack.
'While offensive, the comment points to a broader perception among cybercriminals: Australia is lucrative and underprepared,' the ASPI article read.
The Australian Information Commissioner (AIC) has launched civil proceedings in the Federal Court against Medibank over the 2022 hack.
The AIC alleged Medibank 'seriously interfered with the privacy of 9.7 million Australians' by failing to take reasonable steps to protect its information.
The civil case is before the Federal Court of Australia. A case management hearing is set for November 21.
Originally published as Nearly half of Aussie internet users smashed by scammers last year
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