Australia’s cyber espionage agency has warned that Chinese hackers are increasingly targeting remote workers’ technology to infiltrate corporate systems.
The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), in its latest Cyber Threat Report, revealed a rise in state-sponsored cyberattacks against businesses and individuals amid growing global tensions.
According to the report, hackers are now using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their attacks on major companies, including banks, telecommunications providers, and essential service operators such as power and water suppliers.
The ASD highlighted that the average cost of cybercrime for small and medium-sized businesses increased by 55% to AUD 97,000 during the past financial year, while large firms saw a 220% surge, averaging AUD 203,000 per incident.
The report further warned that hackers are hijacking employees’ home technology without their knowledge, creating hidden networks known as botnets. These compromised networks are often built using home internet routers, firewalls, and VPNs—devices identified as “edge targets” by the ASD.
Once these systems are breached, attackers can access other connected devices, such as computers and smartphones, gaining a foothold for further malicious activity.
The report was released shortly after a major cyber incident involving Qantas, where the personal data of 5.7 million customers was leaked on the dark web. Qantas was among 40 companies—including Disney and IKEA—affected by the hack, after the cybercriminal group Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters stole nearly one billion records from cloud services provider Salesforce in July.
