The financial services sector is often reported as being the most attacked industry in Australia, but a report from Dimension Data has found education now holds the crown.
With 26 percent of all attacks in Australia targeting the education sector, Dimension Data's Executive Guide to the NTT Security 2018 Global Threat Intelligence Report has said educational institutions should be on "particularly high alert" in this region.
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"Increased levels of attacks are likely due to the move towards more collaborative environments inside and among facilities such as universities, colleges, and schools," the report[3] explains.
"Open networks have become commonplace on Australian campuses, but that ubiquity makes them alluring targets for cybercriminals -- especially since higher learning institutions often possess sensitive company and state information."
Second to education is the technology sector, Dimension Data reports, accounting for 17 percent; finance, which has been the top of the most attacked industry list for many years in Australia, came in third with 13 percent.
The technology sector's significant intellectual property is a prime target for competitive advantage, Dimension Data said, making the sector the second most attacked, globally.
"It's in the top five across all regions, signalling a shift in adversary intentions," the report says.
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