Oceania Sees Rise in Cyberattacks Targeting Retail and Services

The Sectors at Most Risk in Australia and New Zealand

Recent data indicates a shift in cyberattack targets in Australia and New Zealand, with retail and construction industries experiencing a higher volume of attacks than traditionally prioritized critical sectors. Cyble’s “Threat Landscape Report 2024” revealed 92 compromised access sales in Oceania during 2025, with 31 specifically impacting the retail sector.

Why This Matters

The increase in attacks against non-critical sectors highlights a fundamental issue: attackers prioritize ease and efficiency over strategic importance. While critical infrastructure receives focused attention, vulnerabilities in less-protected industries offer lower-effort, lucrative opportunities, resulting in a fragmented market for initial access, evidenced by a high number of unique sellers on the dark web. The cost of these breaches, even at $1,500 for 250GB of stolen data, can be significant for affected businesses.

Key Insights

• 92: Number of compromised access sales impacting Australian and New Zealand organizations in 2025.
• Initial Access Brokers: The proliferation of these actors lowers the barrier to entry for cybercrime, enabling less sophisticated attackers to participate.
• Identity Gaps: Retail’s high employee turnover and reliance on temporary staff create vulnerabilities due to stale accounts and excessive privileges.

Practical Applications

• Use Case: Legal and accounting firms in Oceania are targeted due to the sensitive PII they manage and comparatively weak cybersecurity posture.
• Pitfall: Focusing solely on disrupting ransomware groups without addressing the underlying issue of initial access availability allows the ecosystem to regenerate.