by Amy Pettinger, Creative Content Australia — 23 November 2022
The recent data hacks on two of Australia’s biggest consumer facing companies, Optus and Medibank Private have once again shone a light on the cyber safety threats facing Australians online every day.
According to a survey by the Australian National University, more than 6 million Australians have been exposed to data breaches in the past year[i] with personal data such as full names, addresses, dates of birth, licence numbers and medical histories now in the hands of bad actors willing to sell them on for a profit.
Beyond the hacks in question, this month Government research has bought to light some sobering facts about cyber safety. During the first week of November, the Annual Cyber Threat Report was released by the Australian Cyber Security Centre revealing the huge scale of cybercrime in Australia, which has increased by 13% in the last year, with 76,000 cybercrimes reported for the financial year.[ii]
The report noted that ransomware has become a particular concern and has evolved to operate from a sophisticated syndicate business model with damaging costs for both consumers and businesses.
Cybercrime and ransomware are closely linked to online copyright infringement. The screen industry has long been aware of the value that its content offers to cyber criminals who market stolen content as ‘free’ as a lure to snare their victims.
The US non-profit organisation, the Digital Citizens Alliance, recently released findings from an investigation into malicious advertising on pirate websites and found that, over just a couple of months in 2022, piracy operators generated $121 million in revenues by allowing malvertisers to target their users.[iii] And it’s widespread, malvertising accounted for 12% of the total ads on pirate sites.[iv]
Creative Content Australia has consistently identified the cyber threats and personal risks associated with people who engage in piracy.
CCA’s most recent campaign ‘Piracy. You’re Exposed.’ sought to raise awareness of the personal consequences of people who undertake risky online activities.
In 2021, CCA’s annual piracy tracking research showed that Australians continue to fall victim to cybercrime as a result of piracy. And, the more you pirate, the more likely you are to experience cyber security issues.
The research survey for 2022 has yet to be released but there has been significant growth across all of the cyber safety issues which are tracked.
The online safety of children is also of concern given recent findings.
The Government released another report on November 14 with the results of the National Online Safety Survey. The report detailed insights into how children are using the internet, and film and TV content consumption is a major filler of their time online. The leading reason for 74% of children aged 8-10 to use the internet is to watch movies and videos.[i] For 11-17 year-olds, 68% are using it to stream and download movies and videos[ii].
The CCA research confirms that 24% of teenagers aged between 12-17 are pirating content on a regular basis, and when looking at just 15-17 year-olds the figure jumps to 68%.
With the associated cyber safety issues facing children and teens, the need to crack down on piracy is critical.
Unfortunately, despite the screen industry’s efforts to raise awareness of these issues to Australians through education and consumer awareness campaigns, the problems persist and will continue to persist as long as pirate sites operate and continue to target users with the promise of free content.
So, what is the government doing about it?
Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber security Clare O’Neil has called the recent cyber attacks “a huge wake-up call for the country” and announced that she wants to see Australia become a global leader in cyber security. She will drive reform next year through a revamped national cyber security strategy.[i]
Following the troubling findings from the report and recent hacks, the Government has also announced that the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Signals Directorate will initiate an ongoing joint standing operation against cyber criminals. The operation will collect intelligence and identify ringleaders, networks and infrastructure in order to disrupt and stop their operations – regardless of where they are.
And, what does this mean for piracy?
Piracy causes significant financial loss not just to content makers, distributors and exhibitors, but increasingly often to the people who are lured by the promise of a free film. The danger posed to individuals is growing as criminal networks become more sophisticated in their business operations.
For the screen industry, it remains critical to continue working to raise awareness of the risks that pirate sites pose to consumers. It’s also critical for the education system to expose the links between cyber safety and piracy to children and to educate them on how to be good digital citizens.
At a government level, we hope that the new initiatives developed by the government will address copyright infringement and the associated cyber safety issues.
FURTHER READING: REPORT: Disturbing threats lurk on pirate sites, Fact UK, 29 August 2022
[i] Andrew Tillett, Australian Financial Review, National security a partnership between business and govt: O’Neil,https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/national-security-a-partnership-between-business-and-govt-o-neil-20221111-p5bxjd, 15 November, 2022
[i] Social Research Centre, The 2022 National Online Safety Survey – summary report, July 2022 https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/national-online-safety-survey-2022-wcag-accessible-report-25july2022-final.pdf
[ii] Ibid
[i] James Purtill, ABC News, More than 6 million Australian adults had personal data stolen in past year, survey shows, 8 November 2022 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-08/third-of-adults-have-personal-data-stolen-past-year-survey-shows/101623854
[ii] Australian Cyber Security Centre, Annual Cyber Threat Report 2022, https://www.cyber.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-11/ACSC-Annual-Cyber-Threat-Report-2022.pdf
[iii] Digital Citizens Alliance, Unholy Triangle: From Piracy to Ads to Ransomware: How Illicit Actors User Digital Ads on Piracy Sites to Profit by Harming Internet Users, September 2022,
https://www.digitalcitizensalliance.org/clientuploads/directory/Reports/Unholy-Triangle-Report.pdf
[iv] Ibid
[i] James Purtill, ABC News, More than 6 million Australian adults had personal data stolen in past year, survey shows, 8 November 2022 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-08/third-of-adults-have-personal-data-stolen-past-year-survey-shows/101623854
[ii] Australian Cyber Security Centre, Annual Cyber Threat Report 2022, https://www.cyber.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-11/ACSC-Annual-Cyber-Threat-Report-2022.pdf
[iii] Digital Citizens Alliance, Unholy Triangle: From Piracy to Ads to Ransomware: How Illicit Actors User Digital Ads on Piracy Sites to Profit by Harming Internet Users, September 2022, https://www.digitalcitizensalliance.org/clientuploads/directory/Reports/Unholy-Triangle-Report.pdf
[iv] Ibid
[v] Social Research Centre, The 2022 National Online Safety Survey – summary report, July 2022 https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/national-online-safety-survey-2022-wcag-accessible-report-25july2022-final.pdf
[vi] Ibid
[vii] Andrew Tillett, Australian Financial Review, National security a partnership between business and govt: O’Neil, https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/national-security-a-partnership-between-business-and-govt-o-neil-20221111-p5bxjd, 15 November, 2022