IT Brief Australia - Technology news for CIOs & IT decision-makers
Australia

Online Safety Stories

Australian Stories

Online Safety stories

Global Stories

Online Safety stories

Global Signal Exchange flags fake FIFA domains early
Malware

Global Signal Exchange flags fake FIFA domains early

Fraudsters' World Cup scam sites were spotted months ahead of kick-off, helping agencies and firms shut down fake FIFA domains before users were hit.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Last week
Fake shop scams more than double in first half of 2026
Phishing

Fake shop scams more than double in first half of 2026

Shoppers in the UK and Europe face a growing risk of cloned retail sites as Gen blocked 114.2 million fake e-shop attacks in six months.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Last week
OpenAI adds teen safety & learning tools to ChatGPT
Data Protection

OpenAI adds teen safety & learning tools to ChatGPT

Teens using ChatGPT will face tighter safeguards and parental oversight as OpenAI expands study tools and limits harmful content.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Last week
Zscaler flags Claude chat malware campaign on Macs
Malware

Zscaler flags Claude chat malware campaign on Macs

Mac users were lured via Google ads and shared Claude chats into installing malware that steals passwords, files and wallet data.

By Mark Tarre • 3 min read • Last week
Deepfake fraud attacks rise 180% as identity checks fail
Data Protection

Deepfake fraud attacks rise 180% as identity checks fail

Nearly one in 100 failed identity checks now involves deepfake material, as AI-generated fraud threatens banking, payments and online services.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • This month
WhatsApp GhostPairing attack gives intruders access
Multi-factor authentication

WhatsApp GhostPairing attack gives intruders access

Attackers can stay inside WhatsApp accounts after a single fake device approval, exposing messages, calls and contacts without alerts.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • This month
Fourthline & Veridas merge in identity verification push
Software-as-a-Service

Fourthline & Veridas merge in identity verification push

Demand for digital identity checks is rising as fraud and compliance risks mount, with the merged group spanning more than 50 countries.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • This month
Cloudflare launches Precursor to spot bots in sessions
Application Security

Cloudflare launches Precursor to spot bots in sessions

With automated traffic now overtaking human visits online, the tool is designed to catch bots that slip past login and checkout checks.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • This month
Temu triples brands in intellectual property monitoring
Supply Chain

Temu triples brands in intellectual property monitoring

More than 15,000 brands are now covered as the marketplace steps up pre-listing checks to curb counterfeit sales and cut complaint times.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • This month
The Yahoo Boys: From prince inheritance emails to dating site scams
Open source

The Yahoo Boys: From prince inheritance emails to dating site scams

F-Secure's Laura Kankaala explains how the Yahoo Boys scam culture has evolved from advance-fee emails into sextortion and romance fraud.

By Jake MacAndrew • 4 min read • This month

Stories from Other Regions

Online Safety stories

Why a heartbreaking post in your feed deserves a second look before you share
Malware

Why a heartbreaking post in your feed deserves a second look before you share

Scammers are exploiting grief-driven sharing with fake death posts that can spread malware, harvest data and build rogue audiences.

By Mark Gorrie • 4 min read • Last week
Net-Defence urges parents to talk privacy with children
Gaming

Net-Defence urges parents to talk privacy with children

Holiday gaming and AI use are exposing more children to data risks, as one in five parents have never discussed online privacy.

By Mark Tarre • 5 min read • Last week
Cyber criminals are not breaking in - they're logging in
Data Protection

Cyber criminals are not breaking in - they're logging in

Breaches across New Zealand are increasingly exploiting human trust, with thieves using logins and one-time codes to steal data and funds.

By Tom Chan • 3 min read • This month
Trump tops world's most-searched AI voice rankings
Generative AI

Trump tops world's most-searched AI voice rankings

Interest in synthetic audio is shifting into politics as Trump's voice draws 46,770 annual searches and deepfake concerns grow.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • This month
AI literacy & cyber safety vital for young workers
Data Protection

AI literacy & cyber safety vital for young workers

Employers are being urged to make AI literacy and cyber safety core training, as young workers face a tighter labour market and rising online threats.

By Mark Tarre • 5 min read • This month
Gamma backs Rebel Telecom's child-safe mobile model
Social Media

Gamma backs Rebel Telecom's child-safe mobile model

Pressure is mounting for child-focused smartphone options as Rebel Telecom takes its pitch to Parliament amid tighter online safety proposals.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • This month
Cifas joins global fraud-sharing network in crackdown
Malware

Cifas joins global fraud-sharing network in crackdown

UK consumers and businesses could benefit as Cifas adds nearly 500 scam signals to a global network aimed at faster takedowns.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • This month