Extortion stories

Okta warns North Korean operatives are landing remote tech jobs with stolen and synthetic identities to fund the regime and enable cyber attacks.

AI-fuelled cyber attacks surged 70% in 2025, with Check Point warning of machine-speed, multi-channel campaigns targeting key sectors.

AI-driven hacking has pushed weekly cyber attacks up 70% since 2023, with Check Point warning campaigns are faster, broader and harder to stop.

AI-powered ransomware will hit more Canadians by 2027 as cheaper, faster attacks outpace defences, the cyber security agency warns.

Ransomware gangs shrank in number but hit more victims in late 2025, with leak-site postings soaring despite fewer active groups.

AI is transforming data privacy as mistrust soars and cyber attacks accelerate, pushing firms to verify every identity and machine action.

AI-fuelled automation drove a 70% surge in weekly cyber attacks in 2025, with nearly 2,000 incidents per organisation, Check Point warns.

Ransomware attacks hit record highs in 2025 as Qilin overtakes LockBit, with victim numbers surging 58% and threat groups multiplying.

UK launches GBP £210m Cyber Action Plan and central unit to shore up digital public services amid rising attacks and legacy risks.

Myths over the value of business data are leaving smaller firms dangerously exposed, IDS-INDATA warns ahead of Data Privacy Day.

A sexual assault survivor says she feels re‑victimised and furious after the Manage My Health hack and US$60,000 ransom demand.

Government orders urgent review into ManageMyHealth cyber breach as hackers threaten to leak 400,000 patient files over NZD $60,000.

AI will transform cyber threats by 2026, experts say, but warn over-automation and legacy systems could imperil critical infrastructure.

Ransomware attacks on manufacturing shift from encryption to data theft and extortion, with recovery costs averaging USD $1.3 million, reveals new research.

Fraud losses in the UK surged to GBP £1.17 billion in 2024, with Black Friday scams and unauthorised card fraud sharply increasing online threats.

Australian organisations face increasing ransomware threats from top groups like Qilin, Akira, Scattered Spider, impacting sectors from healthcare to education and business.

European organisations faced a sharp 2024 rise in ransomware and state-backed cyberattacks, with 22% of global victims, says CrowdStrike's latest report.

Global ransomware attacks surged 28% in September, with Industrials hardest hit, as cyber criminals ramp up efforts ahead of the busy holiday season.

Over half of cyberattacks last year were driven by extortion or ransomware, with criminals focusing on financial gain rather than espionage, Microsoft reveals.

Australia ranks tenth globally for cyberattack frequency, with AI fueling a rise in ransomware and extortion, Microsoft reports in its 2025 Digital Defence Review.