Correspondent

Riley Paterson

Security correspondent

Riley Paterson writes about breaches and the boring facts of who got in. Late is better than wrong about attribution.

2 stories

Close view of a smartphone showing a banking authenticator push notification held in one hand at a Sydney cafe table, daylight through window, laptop edge blurred, screen glow without readable text, no logos

Macquarie Bank Trials Step-Up App Prompts After Synthetic Voice Scams

Macquarie Bank is piloting richer step-up prompts in its Authenticator app after clients approved transfers during phone calls that used synthetic voices mimicking relationship managers, shifting liability questions toward in-app detail review.

Riley Paterson Sep 18, 2026Australia

Back-office payroll clerk on a phone call beside dual monitors in a dim Melbourne hospitality office, fluorescent light, paper timesheets stacked, screens without readable text, no logos

Security

Westpac Blocks Payroll Redirect Scams Targeting Melbourne Hospitality Groups

Westpac froze outbound payroll batches for three Melbourne hospitality groups after business-email scammers swapped supplier and wage-account details, pushing payroll teams to adopt Confirmation of Payee checks before the spring trading rush.

Riley Paterson Sep 18, 2026Australia