This year marked a clear shift in how Australian organisations talk about cyber security. What was once seen as a technical concern increasingly became a leadership issue discussed at the executive and board level. Cyber incidents did not just affect systems. They disrupted operations, delayed services, and tested business continuity plans.

As the year comes to a close, many organisations are reflecting on lessons learned not only from their own experiences, but from the broader Australian threat landscape.

Cyber Risk became a Business Risk

Throughout the year, Australian businesses saw how cyber incidents directly impacted revenue, customer trust, regulatory exposure, and operational stability.

Executives were forced to consider cyber security in the same context as financial risk and operational risk. Decisions around investment, insurance, and third party relationships were increasingly influenced by the potential impact of a cyber event. This shift highlighted the need for clearer ownership and stronger alignment between technical teams and business leadership.

Ransomware Pressure Across Australian Organisations

Ransomware remained one of the most disruptive threats facing Australian organisations this year. According to Rubrik Zero Labs’ Identity Crisis: Understanding and Building Resilience Against Identity Driven Threats, Australian organisations recorded the highest rate of ransomware incidents globally over the past twelve months.

According to recent survey data from Wakefield, 90% of organisations experienced a cyber attack in the past year, and among those hit with ransomware, 89% paid the ransom to recover data or stop the attack. This continues a troubling trend, despite consistent guidance from regulators and security experts not to pay.

The findings reveal the extreme pressure organisations face when operations are disrupted. For many, the decision to pay is less about strategy and more about survival—driven by the urgency to resume services and reduce business impact.

This highlights an uncomfortable truth: without strong recovery capabilities, even well-intentioned policies fall apart under pressure. Building resilience requires realistic recovery planning, tested response playbooks, and leadership alignment long before an attack occurs.

Incident Response Exposed Organisational Weaknesses

This year also revealed how many organisations were underprepared for real world cyber incidents. Gaps were often found in detection capabilities, escalation processes, and decision making under pressure.

In several cases, delays in identifying an attack allowed threats to spread further across environments. Unclear roles and responsibilities slowed response efforts and increased business impact. These challenges highlighted that having a plan is not enough. Incident response processes must be tested, understood, and supported at all levels of the organisation.

Key Lessons to Carry Into the New Year

As organisations reflect on the year, several clear lessons stand out. Cyber resilience requires proactive preparation rather than reactive response. Identity security and ransomware readiness should be treated as core business priorities.

Regular testing, realistic risk assessments, and independent validation help organisations move from assumption to confidence. The organisations that fared best were those that invested time in understanding their exposure before an incident occurred.

Turning Reflection Into Action

Reflection is valuable only when it leads to meaningful change. As the new year approaches, Australian organisations have an opportunity to strengthen their security posture by addressing the gaps revealed over the past twelve months.

This includes reviewing response plans, validating controls through testing, and ensuring leadership has clear visibility into cyber risk. Moving forward with intention allows organisations to face the next year with greater resilience and clarity.

Closing the Year With Clearer Insight

The past year reinforced an important reality for Australian businesses. Cyber security is not a one time project or a purely technical challenge. It is an ongoing business responsibility that requires leadership engagement, preparation, and continuous improvement.

Closing the year with honest reflection positions organisations to enter the next one better informed, better prepared, and more resilient against evolving threats.

Cyber Node’s Commitment Heading Into 2026

As Australian organisations prepare for 2026, Cyber Node remains committed to helping businesses understand their real world cyber risk and strengthen their security posture. Through penetration testing, security assessments, and incident readiness support, we work alongside organisations to identify weaknesses before they are exploited.

If you would like to start a cybersecurity conversation as you head into the new year, you can email us at sales@cybernode.au or visit our website at cybernode.au to learn how we can help reduce risk and improve resilience.