WatchGuard Technologies recorded more than 5,000 malware attacks and over 65,000 network attacks in Australia during August 2025.
According to WatchGuard Technologies, a total of 5,383 malware threats were blocked in Australia in August. This equates to an average of 179 malware attacks daily – approximately seven per hour. The same month saw 65,074 network attacks blocked, representing 2,169 per day or roughly 90 every hour.
The majority of malware detected in Australia was comprised of known malware types, making up 93 per cent of detections, while seven per cent were identified as zero-day variants. The detected malware included several phishing and credential theft attempts such as HTML:Beluga.5564, which accounted for 1,832 detections, and JS:Trojan.Cryxos.14878, with 554 detections. These examples indicate the ongoing use of social engineering and scam-related techniques by malicious actors.
In comparison to the broader Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, WatchGuard’s report stated that 430,468 malware attacks were blocked across APAC in August, alongside 114,003 network attacks. Australia’s share constituted only 1.25 per cent of all malware detections in APAC, but it accounted for 57 per cent of all network attacks blocked in the region during the same period.
Trends over time
Analysis of month-on-month attack volumes revealed a significant shift. Malware attacks in Australia surged by 46.7 per cent from June to July, followed by a sharp decline of 68.2 per cent in August. Network attacks, meanwhile, have shown a consistent decline, falling by 41.9 per cent from June to July and decreasing a further 47.2 per cent from July to August.
Expert view
“While it is encouraging to see overall attack volumes in Australia trending down, the data shows cyber criminals are still striking with alarming frequency given the more than 90 network attacks every hour. The dominance of known malware also highlights that many organisations are still being targeted with tried-and-tested techniques. Businesses cannot afford to be complacent. Maintaining layered defences and strong detection capabilities remains critical, as attackers will always look for the easiest path to exploit.”
These remarks were made by Anthony Daniel, Managing Director at WatchGuard for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, in response to the latest statistics.
Implications and security challenges
The continued prevalence of known malware strains and phishing attempts reinforces the challenges facing Australian organisations in maintaining effective cybersecurity measures. The data supports the trend of cyber criminals favouring established attack vectors that have previously proven successful, with phishing and credential theft remaining among the top detected threats.
Australian organisations face persistent risks despite short-term reductions in attack volumes, indicating a need for continued vigilance and robust security postures to mitigate threats that appear to exploit routine vulnerabilities or social engineering tactics.
The figures provided by WatchGuard Technologies highlight the dynamic nature of cyber threats impacting businesses and institutions across Australia, with sector-wide emphasis on prevention, detection, and response expected to remain high on the agenda.
