Ransomware: Why Australia Still Faces a Real and Growing Threat

Ransomware isn’t new. It started in 1988 when a floppy disk slipped into a World Health Organization conference — carrying a virus disguised as an AIDS information tool. That virus, known as the AIDS Trojan, locked files on infected machines and asked for a cheque to be sent to a PO Box in Panama. It wasn’t sophisticated, but it proved one thing

Now, ransom demands aren’t just going up — they’re skyrocketing. In 2018, the average ransom was around $6,000. By 2019, it hit $84,000. By 2020, it was over $178,000. That’s not just inflation. It shows cybercriminals are treating data recovery as a valuable service. They’re not just threatening to take data — they’re holding it hostage for weeks or months. Paying ransoms doesn’t solve the problem. It encourages more attacks and puts organisations in a bind

Key Turning Points in Ransomware Evolution

• Early attacks used simple malware with basic demands: The 1988 AIDS Trojan was crude by today’s standards, but it laid the foundation for digital extortion — showing that data could be locked and demanded for payment.
• Encryption tech made recovery nearly impossible: Asymmetric encryption allowed attackers to lock files with keys that couldn’t be recovered, making it hard even for skilled IT teams to restore data without paying.
• Ransom demands have ballooned over time: From $6,000 in 2018 to over $178,000 by 2020, the rise reflects growing confidence in hackers and a shift in how they value data — not just as files, but as assets worth holding.
• Many organisations still rely on paying to survive: Without reliable, clean backups, businesses have little choice but to pay ransoms — which only fuels more attacks and increases risk for everyone.

The threat isn’t going away. As long as hackers have a financial incentive and systems remain vulnerable, ransomware will keep evolving. Stopping it means simple, practical steps