Australia has been the victim of damaging cyberattacks in the latter half of this year, with high-profile incidents impacting businesses across critical sectors such as telecoms, healthcare, and government. The impacts of some of these attacks have been rolling on for months, with new details and further information about data breached from the incidents suffered by Optus and Medibank breaking regularly.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) recently confirmed what the media has already been reporting, releasing data that showed cyber-attacks have risen 13% YoY.

What makes Australia such an attractive target? And what does this shift mean for the future of other countries around the world?