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Australians hit hard by scam activity from cybercriminals
ustralians lost more than
A
AU $ 34 million to all types of scams in January 2022 according to the latest figures from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ’ s ( ACCC ) Scamwatch .
This figure is up more than 50 % compared to the start of 2021 , but down from the AU $ 43 million in losses reported in December 2021 , which was a record month for losses itself last year . There were 21,110 scams reported to the ACCC in January , an increase of 45 % from the previous month .
Adrian Covich , Senior Director at Proofpoint , said : “ While it is promising to see a decline in the amount lost to scams compared to the end of 2021 , looking at the statistics from the same period last year highlights just how successful scammers have become at stealing from hard-working Australians .
“ Last year was a record-breaking year for scams with more than AU $ 323 million in losses and 286,000 reports according to Scamwatch . With scammers and cybercriminals continuously reinventing their tactics and finding new ways to exploit Australians for financial gain , there is every chance we will see these statistics continue to rise this year .”
Investment scams were the most financially damaging type of scam in January costing Australians AU $ 21 million , more than double the amount lost in the same month last year .
IBM hub in India to create cyber resiliency
BM has announced a significant
I investment to help businesses prepare for the growing threat of cyberattacks to organisations across the Asia Pacific region .
The centrepiece of this investment is the new IBM Security Command Centre , the first of its kind in the region , for training cybersecurity response techniques through realistic , simulated cyberattacks .
The investment also includes a new Security Operation Centre ( SOC ) which is part of IBM ’ s vast network of existing global SOCs – providing
24x7 security response services to clients globally .
The new IBM cybersecurity centres will help address the need for organisations to accelerate their security strategies and align business priorities . Located at IBM offices at Embassy Golf Links in Bengaluru , India , the new facilities represent a strategic hub for IBM cybersecurity activities in the region . Chris Hockings , IBM Security CTO for Asia Pacific , said : “ The new IBM Security Command Centre is the first in Asia Pacific enabled to train the entire business in the art of response to a cyberattack event , further enhanced by the real-time experience of our security experts based in the adjoining global SOC .
“ With Asia Pacific ’ s enormous growth , diversity and role in global supply chain , these capabilities can be a real game changer for helping customers face growing threats in the region .” www . intelligentciso . com
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