Cybercrime incidents up 13 percent in one year with a new attack reported every 8 minutes, according to a new report by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASCS). Operated by digital spy agency Australian Signals Directorate, the ACSC noted that a higher proportion of cyber security incidents were being categorised as “substantial” in their impact. “Government agencies at all levels, large organisations, critical infrastructure providers, small to medium enterprises, families and individuals were all targeted over the reporting period—predominantly by criminals or state actors,” the report reads. Over $33 billion was lost due to self-reported cyber-crime in 2020-21 alone, as criminals and spies exploit increased dependency on the internet during the pandemic. “Malicious cyber actors have pivoted to exploit the COVID–19 pandemic and are actively targeting vulnerable Australians and health services to conduct espionage, and steal money and sensitive data,” said Assistant Minister for Defence Andrew Hastie when releasing the …