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Key Points

A shocking new report shows that over 40% of Australian cybercrime victims experienced multiple types of attacks in just one year. Online abuse and harassment emerged as the most common cybercrime, affecting more than a quarter of survey participants. The findings reveal that victims of multiple cybercrimes suffered significantly worse health, financial, and legal consequences. Authorities warn that cybercriminals repeatedly target vulnerabilities, making prevention an essential daily habit for all Australians.

Key Points: Over 40 Percent Australians Hit by Multiple Cybercrimes

  • Online abuse and harassment affected 26.8% of Australians surveyed
  • 47.4% of Australians reported being victims of any cybercrime in 2024
  • Victims of multiple cybercrimes faced triple the health and financial impacts
  • Fraud victims were most vulnerable to other cybercrime types despite lower rates
2 min read

Over 40 pc of Australian victims fall prey to multiple cybercrimes

New government report reveals 42% of Australian cybercrime victims experienced multiple attack types in 2024, with severe health and financial impacts.

"Cybercriminals don't just move on after one attack. If they find a vulnerability... they'll come back again and again - AFP Cyber Commander Graeme Marshall"

Canberra, Oct 6

Over 40 per cent of Australian cybercrime victims in 2024 were the victims of multiple forms of cybercrime, according to a new government report.

The Cybercrime in Australia 2024 report, which was published on Monday by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), found that 42.1 per cent of all cybercrime victims fell victim to multiple cybercrime types in a single year.

The report looked at four key types of cybercrime: online abuse and harassment, malware, identity crime and misuse, and fraud and scams. It found that 47.4 per cent of Australians reported falling victim to any cybercrime in 2024.

Online abuse and harassment were the most common types of cybercrime, affecting 26.8 per cent of the 10,335 Australians who participated in the AIC survey, followed by identity crime and misuse.

Among all victims, 6.6 per cent were victimised across all four cybercrime types.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Cyber Commander Graeme Marshall said the report shows that cybercrime prevention needs to be an everyday habit for Australians rather than a one-off effort.

"Cybercriminals don't just move on after one attack. If they find a vulnerability, whether that's a weak password, outdated software or a compromised email, they'll come back again and again -- often in different ways," he said in a statement.

Fraud and scams were the least common type of cybercrime, affecting 9.5 per cent of survey participants in 2024, but the victims were the most vulnerable to other types of cybercrime, Xinhua news agency reported.

Victims of three or more types of cybercrime were at least three times more likely to experience health, financial and legal impacts than victims of one type, the report said.

Cybercrime is a criminal activity that uses computers, computer networks, or networked devices to commit offences like fraud, data theft, harassment, or to damage systems for profit or other motives.

These acts exploit digital vulnerabilities to steal information, disrupt services, or cause financial and reputational damage to individuals, businesses, and governments worldwide. Common examples include hacking, phishing, identity theft, ransomware, and malware attacks.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
The part about cybercriminals coming back again if they find vulnerabilities is so true. I think Indian authorities should learn from this report and strengthen our cyber security infrastructure. Prevention is better than cure!
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David E
As someone working in IT security, I appreciate that they're treating this as an "everyday habit" rather than one-time protection. This mindset shift is crucial for everyone using digital platforms.
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Ananya R
The health impacts part is worrying 😟. People don't realize how stressful cybercrime can be. We need better awareness campaigns in regional languages too, especially for older people who are more vulnerable.
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Sarah B
While the report is comprehensive, I wish it had more specific recommendations for small businesses and individuals. Sometimes these reports feel too technical for the average person to understand and implement.
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Vikram M
Online abuse affecting 26.8% is shocking! We need stricter laws and faster response systems. In India, we should also focus on digital literacy from school level itself.

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