Australian businesses experienced 5,000 malware attacks in August 2025.

In August 2025, WatchGuard Technologies reported over 5,000 malware attacks and more than 65,000 network attacks in Australia. A total of 5,383 malware threats were blocked, averaging 179 daily, or approximately seven per hour. During the same month, 65,074 network attacks were thwarted, equating to 2,169 per day or roughly 90 every hour. Notably, 93 per cent of the malware detected consisted of known types, while seven per cent were zero-day variants. Among the threats, HTML:Beluga.5564 and JS:Trojan.Cryxos.14878 were significant, highlighting the ongoing use of social engineering tactics by cybercriminals. In the broader Asia-Pacific region, Australia accounted for only 1.25 per cent of all malware detections but represented 57 per cent of network attacks blocked.

Analysis of attack trends revealed a dramatic shift in August, with malware attacks in Australia declining by 68.2 per cent after a 46.7 per cent surge from June to July. Network attacks also showed a consistent downward trend, decreasing by 41.9 per cent from June to July and a further 47.2 per cent from July to August. Despite the overall reduction in attack volumes, Anthony Daniel, Managing Director at WatchGuard for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, cautioned that cybercriminals continue to strike with alarming frequency. The prevalence of known malware strains underscores the need for Australian organisations to maintain robust cybersecurity measures. Vigilance and layered defences remain critical, as attackers often exploit established vulnerabilities. 

Categories: Malware Attacks, Network Security, Cybersecurity Trends 

Tags: Malware Attacks, Network Attacks, Phishing, Credential Theft, Zero-Day Variants, Social Engineering, Cybersecurity, Threat Detection, Australia, Asia-Pacific