Fraud & Security News

Australia ranked top 6 in global data breaches

Jomar Teves Aug 13, 2023

2 min read

With technological advancements rapidly moving, attempts have been made to adapt to the ever-changing landscape by various governments by establishing dedicated organisations and regulations that are responsive against threats born from said developments. But despite the efforts taken, many governments are slow to adapt and are then targeted by individuals with malicious intent. According to VPN services provider Surfshark, Australia has been ranked globally as the sixth nation with the most data breach.

Conducted Study

The global study in the second quarter of 2023 (Q2 2023) revealed that 110 million accounts leaked. Said number is 2.6 times the number of breaches in the first quarter (43.2 million). The report means that at least 855 accounts were breached every minute in Q2 2023 compared to 334 accounts per minute in the previous quarter. In the list of the most breached countries, Australia ranked sixth. This is due to almost 2 million accounts being leaked during the time period. This would indicate that the country experienced 15 leaked accounts per minute which was 11 times more than the past quarter.

Surfshark lead researcher Agneska Sablovskaya stated that there had been a threefold surge increase of breaches and leaked accounts compared to the previous quarter. She further added that the findings highlighted the issue of insufficient current regulations and data protection measures, which means that sensitive data remains exposed to cyber crimes.

Breaches in Australia

In the previous month, Price Water Huse Coopers (PwC) released to the public a report based upon an order from the Tax Practitioners (TPB). Said report stated that the PwC had made improvements in the management of confidential agreements. These improvements also include changes in central approval, registration process and procedures, and board oversight.

In the same month, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) also confirmed that some participants of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), their families and carers, and staff had become victims of the data breaches in the law firm.

In conclusion, many the worlds government, despite efforts to adapt and implement new methods and regulations in combating digital crime, many individuals who have malicious intent are still able to roam free and victimise groups and individuals. This has come to light based on a global study conducted by VPN services provider Surfshark which revealed Australia becoming the Sixth most breached country. In light of such a study, some Australian organisations have implemented improvements and change to their organisation to combat digital threats.

Jomar Teves

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After four years in business school and working for multinational clients, Jomar believes he can improve the world through his writings via Public Spectrum, by informing the public on the latest news and updates happening around the government and society. Jomar has eight years experience as a writer and has a degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurial Marketing.