What is the Qantas breach?

The Qantas breach, disclosed in July, was part of a sophisticated campaign by the hacking group Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters that compromised 40 companies using Salesforce's customer relationship management platform.

How are Australian organizations affected by ransomware attacks?

According to the research, Australian organizations are suffering ransomware attacks at unprecedented rates, with 96% of breached businesses paying ransom demands in the past year, the highest rate globally.

What happened when Qantas and Salesforce refused to pay the ransom?

When the hackers set an October 10 deadline for payment, both Qantas and Salesforce refused. Days later, the stolen data appeared online, accompanied by a warning from the hackers: "Don't be the next headline, should have paid the ransom."

Home / Technology / Australian Firms Buckle Under Ransomware Pressure, Paying Highest Rates Globally

Australian Firms Buckle Under Ransomware Pressure, Paying Highest Rates Globally

13 Nov

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Summary

96% of breached Australian businesses paid ransomware demands in the past year
Australian organizations suffer attacks at unprecedented rates
Qantas breach part of sophisticated campaign by Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters

Australian Firms Buckle Under Ransomware Pressure, Paying Highest Rates Globally

A concerning trend has emerged in Australia, where cybercriminals are increasingly targeting businesses with ransomware attacks. According to a recent survey of 3,200 large companies by data security firm Cohesity, a staggering 96% of breached Australian businesses have paid ransomware demands in the past year. This rate is the highest globally and well above the international average of 82%.

The findings paint a troubling picture of Australia as a prime target for cybercriminals. Not only are Australian organizations more likely to succumb to ransom demands, they are also experiencing attacks at unprecedented levels. One high-profile incident was the Qantas breach, disclosed in July, which was part of a sophisticated campaign by the hacking group Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters. The attackers used AI-powered "vishing" (voice phishing) to trick employees at a Manila-based Qantas call center into installing malicious software, granting access to customer databases containing sensitive information.