Another week, another round of cyber mayhem. Australia is tightening its defenses, cracking down on scam operations, and sanctioning cybercrime facilitators, while students get hands-on experience in cyber escape rooms (because nothing says “lesson learned” like simulated panic). Meanwhile, Pacific nations are getting a crash course in why cyber resilience matters, and venues are turning ID scans into data privacy headaches.
Globally, Singapore is schooling board directors on cyber resilience, CrowdStrike is letting AI do the heavy lifting on threat detection, and Apple just patched a zero-day vulnerability—so update your iPhones before your data ends up on a dark web marketplace.
On the insurance side, APAC’s cyber market is poised to hit $1.7 billion, discussions around public-private cyber risk pools are heating up, and businesses are being urged to stop waiting for liability debates to decide if they should protect themselves from scams (massive hint: they should).
📰 Cyber Security
Australia & New Zealand
ACCC Welcomes New Scams Prevention Bill, 14 February 2025
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is backing the Scams Prevention Framework Bill, which puts more responsibility on businesses to keep scammers out. That means banks, telcos, and digital platforms will no longer get to play the “not my problem” card when fraud happens on their watch. Read more
Pacific Nations Face Rising Cyber Threats, 14 February 2025
Recent cyber intrusions in Samoa and Papua New Guinea show that cyber resilience in the Pacific isn’t a nice to have—it’s a survival mechanism. With nation-state actors and cybercriminals targeting the region, the push for better defenses is growing. Read more
Telstra & CommBank Extend Fraud Partnership, 14 February 2025
Telstra and Commonwealth Bank are expanding their fraud prevention partnership, using AI to track unusual mobile service activity. Translation: Scammers, good luck faking those customer accounts. Read more
Australia, US, and UK Sanction Russian Cybercrime Host, 12 February 2025
The U.S., UK, and Australia have sanctioned Zservers, a bulletproof hosting provider linked to LockBit ransomware. This move blocks financial transactions and aims to disrupt cybercrime infrastructure—because it turns out letting criminals rent servers with no questions asked is bad for national security. Read more
Australian Cyber Spies Take Down ZServers, 12 February 2025
After discovering Medibank’s stolen data sitting on ZServers, Australian cyber operatives took action. Five Russian cybercriminals reportedly left for drinks, and by the time they returned, Australia had wiped their infrastructure clean. Tough break. Read more
Fortinet Expands in Australia, 11 February 2025
Fortinet is setting up shop in North Sydney, complete with an Innovation Hub. If nothing else, local businesses can now hear “zero trust” in an Australian accent. Read more
ID Scanning at Clubs Raises Data Privacy Alarms, 11 February 2025
Mandatory ID scanning at venues is becoming the norm, but privacy advocates warn it’s also becoming a data security risk. With no clear federal guidelines on how long this data is stored or who can access it, the potential for breaches is raising red flags. Because nothing says “safe night out” like worrying where your ID details might end up. Read more
Cybersecurity Escape Room Puts Students to the Test, 11 February 2025
South Australian students are trading textbooks for hands-on cyber defense, tackling simulated attacks in a mobile escape room experience. Woodville High School—already offering cyber safety courses and soon launching a Certificate III in Cybersafety with TAFE SA—was the first venue to host the initiative. The nationwide tour aims to turn future professionals into cybersecurity first responders, because let’s be real, they’ll probably be dealing with breaches before they even graduate. Read more
Rest of the world
Singapore Launches Cyber Training for Board Directors, 14 February 2025
Singapore Institute of Directors is making sure executives can no longer plead ignorance when the inevitable “we got hacked” email lands in their inbox. A new Cyber Resilience Guide and training program aim to close the knowledge gap in the boardroom. Read more
CrowdStrike Introduces AI-Powered Threat Triage, 13 February 2025
CrowdStrike’s Charlotte AI is now handling detection triage, using automation to cut through the noise and prioritize security alerts. Good news: faster response times. Bad news: Security teams now have to find a new excuse for missing critical alerts. Read more
IMCSO unveils cybersecurity testing methodology, 13 February 2025
The IMCSO (International Maritime Cyber Security Organisation) has released its cybersecurity testing methodology for vessels looking to join the Cyber Risk Registry, providing a practical guide for assessing security across various operational technology categories. Read more
Apple Releases Emergency Patch for Zero-Day Vulnerability, 11 February 2025
Apple users, it’s time for your routine “update or regret it later” moment. A zero-day vulnerability affecting iPads and iPhones has been patched. Install the update before your personal data ends up on a hacker’s “for sale” list. Read more
📰 Cyber Insurance
Australia & New Zealand
Businesses Can’t Wait for Scam Liability Debates, 12 February 2025
With cyber scams surging, Australian businesses are being told to stop waiting for policymakers to figure out who’s liable and start securing themselves—because cybercriminals aren’t waiting for a legal consensus before cashing out. Read more
Rest of the world
APAC’s Cyber Insurance Market to Hit $1.7B in 2024, 15 February 2025
The Asia-Pacific cyber insurance market is set to reach $1.7 billion, driven by a mix of underinsured industries, regulatory pressure, and an increasing number of breaches forcing businesses to buy coverage out of necessity. Read more
Public-Private Cyber Risk Pools Under Consideration, 14 February 2025
Insurers and governments are exploring government-backed cyber reinsurance pools to handle large-scale cyber events. When the risks are too big for private markets, the debate shifts to who foots the bill—businesses, insurers, or taxpayers. Read more
The 5 S’s of cyber resilience: How to rethink enterprise data security and management, 12 February 2025
Enterprise CIOs need to focus on the five S’s — speed, security, simplicity, scale, and smarts — to deliver better cyber resilience outcomes by modernising their data management and infrastructure. Read more
Converge expands cyber insurance capacity through partnership with Obsidian, 10 February 2025
Converge Insurance has partnered with Obsidian Insurance Holdings, Inc to expand its cyber insurance capacity, enabling it to provide comprehensive cyber coverage for businesses with up to $1 billion in revenue. Read more
Australia is cracking down on cybercriminal infrastructure, APAC’s insurance market is booming, and AI is both the problem and the solution in security. Meanwhile, scam prevention laws and fraud partnerships are trying to get ahead of cybercrime, and MSPs are stuck balancing security and liability.
Cyber Threat Insure helps MSPs strengthen client defenses without taking on advisory risks. If you’re not protecting your clients—and yourself—you’re already behind. Let’s fix that: enquiries@cyberthreatinsure.com.