Nearly half – 44 per cent – of Australians who have experienced cybercrime did not report the incident, highlighting a hidden “dark figure” of offending, according to research from Sekuro and Women in Digital.
The Cybercrime Victimisation in Australia report, based on a national survey of 2,003 adults, found 42 per cent had been exposed to cybercrime over the past five years, including 27 per cent who had been victims.
Repeat victimisation was also common, with 40 per cent of hacked Australians reporting they had been victimised more than once.
While overall victimisation rates were similar for men and women, the report highlights the disproportionate impact of technology-facilitated abuse on women. Research cited from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the eSafety Commissioner found women were significantly more likely to experience technology-facilitated abuse from an intimate or former partner and were twice as likely as men to fear for their physical safety as a result: 26.3 per cent compared with 12.6 per cent.
The report also cites research from Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety, showing 97.6 per cent of victims did not report technology-facilitated abuse to eSafety, and 91.7 per cent did not report it to police. More than one-third, 34.3 per cent, told nobody.
“Shame can also play a powerful role in keeping victims silent,” said Holly Hunt, CEO and founder of Women in Digital.
“Fear of judgement, further exposure or being blamed can stop people from reporting, creating cybercrime that sits outside our official statistics and leaves some of the most harmful forms of offending largely unseen.”
Concern about cybercrime is also rising, with 71 per cent worried about themselves or their family and 59 per cent more concerned than two years ago. Financial scams ranked as the leading concern at 29 per cent, followed by hacking at 27 per cent and data breaches at 24 per cent.
AI is adding to those concerns, with 84 per cent of Australians believing it will increase the rate of cybercrime. Older Australians were particularly concerned, with almost half of those aged 65 and over describing themselves as very worried, compared with one in four people aged 18-to-34.
Despite these concerns, Australians are taking active steps to protect themselves. 98 per cent said they were doing something to stay safe online, including 79 per cent who avoid suspicious links and emails, 71 per cent who use multi-factor authentication, and 65 per cent who limit the personal information they share online.
Sekuro CEO Noel Allnutt said responsibility for preventing cybercrime should not rest solely with individuals.
“We know most Australians are already taking steps to protect themselves online. However, cyber hygiene is becoming increasingly overwhelming, and preventing cybercrime can’t rest on individuals alone,” Allnutt said.
The report calls for simpler, safer reporting processes and clearer pathways to support victims, with six key recommendations for improving reporting:
- Establish a single national reporting pathway, accommodating the full spectrum of cybercrime.
- Design trauma-informed reporting that does not require victims to risk further harm. For victims of image-based abuse and sexual extortion, the act of reporting is a form of revictimisation.
- Reframe cybercrime victimisation to separate harm from shame
- Improve the measurement of gendered cybercrime.
- Treat the digital and physical as a continuum in policy and practice.
- Prepare for AI-enabled cybercrime now.
“We need systems, workplaces, and technologies that recognise how criminals target people, and make it easier for victims to know where to turn and get help when they need it,” Allnutt said.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?Make Cyber Daily a preferred news source on Google.
