Australia is grappling with a significant increase in data breaches, with 1.8 million user accounts compromised during the first quarter of 2024 (Q1 2024), according to cybersecurity firm Surfshark’s report.
The analysis, which focuses on email addresses linked to online services, found that these breaches also involved sensitive data such as passwords and financial information.
It indicated a 388% rise in compromised user accounts compared to the last quarter of 2023. This increase places Australia as the 15th most affected country worldwide, with approximately 140 million accounts compromised since 2004.
Recent data breaches in Australia
In addition to Guardian Childcare, many companies have fallen victim to cyberattacks of late.
Major oil and gas company Shell fell victim to a cybercrime, with a threat actor claiming to have posted 80,000 rows of customer data, affecting individuals across the globe, including Australia.
Meanwhile, a hacker group claimed that it has stolen the personal data of ticket sales giant Ticketmaster’s global customers, with thousands of Australians expected to have been impacted.
Other companies that reported data breaches in May included electronic prescription provider MediSecure, tech firm Iress, and mortgage lender Firstmac.
Find out how to mitigate your risk by speaking with one of our experienced Account Brokers on (02) 9587 3500.
Source: Insurance Business Magazine
