SecurityBrief Australia - Technology news for CISOs & cybersecurity decision-makers
Australia

Threat actors Stories - Page 7

Australian Stories

Threat actors stories

Australians urged to tighten online habits on & off duty
Ransomware

Australians urged to tighten online habits on & off duty

Australians are being warned to sharpen digital habits as AI‑driven phishing and social engineering outpace traditional cyber defences.

By Mark Tarre • 5 min read • Tue, 10th Feb 2026

Global Stories

Threat actors stories

Data-only extortion surges as remote access abused
Data Protection

Data-only extortion surges as remote access abused

Data-only extortion soars 11-fold as attackers 'log in instead of break in', abusing remote access tools for faster, stealthier raids.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Wed, 18th Feb 2026
Active exploitation seen in BeyondTrust access flaw
Firewalls

Active exploitation seen in BeyondTrust access flaw

Arctic Wolf says attackers are actively exploiting a critical BeyondTrust vulnerability in self-hosted remote access systems.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Mon, 16th Feb 2026
AI-driven ransomware attacks surge, most go unreported
Firewalls

AI-driven ransomware attacks surge, most go unreported

AI-fuelled ransomware hit record levels in 2025, with BlackFog warning that around 86% of attacks worldwide are never publicly disclosed.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Fri, 13th Feb 2026
Okta warns of North Korean fraud in remote tech hiring
Data Protection

Okta warns of North Korean fraud in remote tech hiring

Okta warns North Korean operatives are landing remote tech jobs with stolen and synthetic identities to fund the regime and enable cyber attacks.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 5 min read • Fri, 13th Feb 2026
BADIIS malware hijacks IIS servers for covert SEO fraud
Malware

BADIIS malware hijacks IIS servers for covert SEO fraud

BADIIS malware is hijacking over 1,800 IIS servers worldwide, quietly boosting illicit gambling and crypto phishing sites via poisoned SEO.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Fri, 13th Feb 2026
SSHStalker botnet preys on legacy Linux & cloud hosts
Malware

SSHStalker botnet preys on legacy Linux & cloud hosts

A newly uncovered SSHStalker botnet uses old-school IRC and legacy Linux exploits to hijack outdated corporate and cloud hosts at scale.

By Kaleah Salmon • 5 min read • Thu, 12th Feb 2026
Google warns of AI model theft & state-backed misuse
Malware

Google warns of AI model theft & state-backed misuse

Google flags surging attempts to steal AI models as state-backed hackers weaponise Gemini for phishing, intel gathering and malware support.

By Sean Mitchell • 6 min read • Thu, 12th Feb 2026
Visions of cyber attacks: The SonicSentry SOC in action on Christmas morning
Firewalls

Visions of cyber attacks: The SonicSentry SOC in action on Christmas morning

While most slept through Christmas dawn, SonicSentry analysts foiled a 3am brute-force cyber attack on a French client's firewall.

By Sarah Wilkinson • 3 min read • Thu, 12th Feb 2026
Microsoft patches zero-day flaws in latest Windows update
Identity and Access Management

Microsoft patches zero-day flaws in latest Windows update

Microsoft rolls out fixes for 55 Windows flaws, including six exploited zero-days hitting Shell, MSHTML, Word and key desktop services.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Thu, 12th Feb 2026
Hackers ditch noisy ransomware for stealthy data theft
Firewalls

Hackers ditch noisy ransomware for stealthy data theft

Hackers are abandoning noisy ransomware to quietly steal data, as a report finds 80% of top attack techniques now focus on evasion.

By Shannon Williams • 4 min read • Thu, 12th Feb 2026
Rockwell opens Singapore SOC to secure Asia Pacific OT
Firewalls

Rockwell opens Singapore SOC to secure Asia Pacific OT

Rockwell opens a 24/7 Singapore security operations centre to monitor and defend industrial OT networks across the Asia Pacific region.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Tue, 10th Feb 2026
A look ahead: workplace and tech converge in 2026
Software-as-a-Service

A look ahead: workplace and tech converge in 2026

Australian workplaces brace for 2026 as AI, hybrid models and security demands converge to reshape how, where and why people work.

By Brad Pulford • 6 min read • Tue, 10th Feb 2026
Screensaver phishing installs remote access tools covertly
Storage

Screensaver phishing installs remote access tools covertly

Attackers are abusing Windows screensaver files in a spearphishing campaign to stealthily install remote access tools on business systems.

By Kaleah Salmon • 4 min read • Thu, 5th Feb 2026
Moltbook's AI agents spark growing security & brand fears
Software-as-a-Service

Moltbook's AI agents spark growing security & brand fears

Moltbook's boom in user-built AI agents is fuelling mounting warnings over cyber threats and brand damage as governance lags adoption.

By Kaleah Salmon • 4 min read • Thu, 5th Feb 2026
Solving the '3 AM Problem' with 24/7 cyber defence
Malware

Solving the '3 AM Problem' with 24/7 cyber defence

As most ransomware strikes after hours, small firms face a costly 3 AM security gap that only round-the-clock MDR can realistically close.

By Sarah Wilkinson • 3 min read • Thu, 5th Feb 2026
Routine internal access, not exploits, drives cyber risk
Malware

Routine internal access, not exploits, drives cyber risk

Routine admin tools, not exotic exploits, let attackers race across networks, compromising over half of systems in under an hour.

By Shannon Williams • 4 min read • Wed, 4th Feb 2026

Stories from Other Regions

Threat actors stories