The banking industry is increasingly becoming a favourite among cyber criminals, according to security vendor MailGuard, which has detected a new phishing email scam purporting to be from Westpac.

Academic computer networks are often exceptionally large and diverse, and are notoriously challenging to secure and monitor, which can make them prime targets for attackers, according to comments made by one security firm in the wake of a data breach at the Australian National University.

Cyber criminals continue to use email as a primary vehicle to steal data and deliver advanced threats, according to one security firm which reveals that phishing attacks targeting email users were the most prominent type of cyber attack globally in 2018.