Wednesday, March 27, 2024
25.8 C
Melbourne

State of cybersecurity in Australia

Mick Pacholli
Mick Pachollihttps://www.tagg.com.au
Mick created TAGG - The Alternative Gig Guide in 1979 with Helmut Katterl, the world's first real Street Magazine. He had been involved with his fathers publishing business, Toorak Times and associated publications since 1972.  Mick was also involved in Melbourne's music scene for a number of years opening venues, discovering and managing bands and providing information and support for the industry. Mick has also created a number of local festivals and is involved in not for profit and supporting local charities.        

Cybercrime actors have a renewed focus and energy to ramp up their online criminal activities by taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, individuals and Australian organisations are being heavily targeted with COVID-19 inspired malware, scams, and email phishing attacks. A Barracuda Network study highlighted that 36% of Australian organisations had at least one data breach since shifting to remote working and 45% of employees experienced email phishing attacks. Meanwhile, the Australian Cyber Security Centre continues to receive reports from individuals, businesses and government departments about various COVID-19 themed cyber-attacks. In the next section, we will take a closer look at three COVID related cyber-attacks Australians have been exposed to.

3 COVID-19 themed cyber threats

Online relief payment scam

Threat actors are taking advantage of the pandemic’s economic fallout to trick people, especially those out of work. Some of these online scams use official government branding promising benefit payment if victims click on a link contained in the email. Of course, these are malicious links that take persons to fake government websites to harvest their personally identifiable information (PII).

COVID-19 testing scam texts

According to the ACSC, recipients have lodged complaints about text messages claiming to be from the Australian Government, which provides information about how to get tested. The text includes a link that persons are encouraged to click on. This malicious link is designed to infect the recipient’s mobile device with malware and steal sensitive information such as bank details.

Fake online stores selling protective items

Cybercriminals use all sorts of lures to trick organisations and individuals into stealing their personal information and funds. One of those lures is setting up fake online stores selling personal protective equipment such as masks. As more persons are shopping online during the pandemic, scammers are using this as an opportunity to commit fraudulent e-commerce activities.

How to mitigate cyber threats

Unfortunately, cybercriminals are exploiting the pandemic to carry out malicious cyber activity, but it also brings to the fore the driving need for more robust cybersecurity initiatives by all Australians. Here are five things you can do to secure your online privacy and mitigate cyber threats:

Implement two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is essential for online services such as banking and email as it provides additional security to access those services. It’s one way of ensuring that you, and only you, have access to your account by sending a code to your phone or using biometric identification such as a fingerprint scan. 2FA is an effective control measure that organisations and individuals should consider implementing if they have not already done so.

Use a VPN

As a secure way of navigating online traffic, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is one of the most practical tools to install on your device when working from home. Because a VPN app secures your web browsing and remote access, hackers are left in the dark and will find it challenging to track your online activity.

Keep operating systems updated

Cybercriminals are always looking for vulnerabilities to exploit, so automatic updates are important to remove those vulnerabilities from devices and systems. Security issues will arise periodically, and this is why software updates are developed to address the problems as soon as they are detected. In addition to software updates, antivirus and anti-malware tools should also be updated regularly.

Avoid public WIFI

Public WIFI enables opportunists to intercept communication and steal your personal information. Though it might seem convenient, using a public WIFI is not secure, especially for work purposes. Valuable data could be exposed to cybercriminals causing a security crisis for the company. When working from home, only use a password-protected internet connection, and when traveling, use your mobile internet service as a hotspot. If you are forced to use public WIFI, secure your online activity by turning on your VPN connection.

Double-check emails  

As opportunists create sophisticated COVID-19 related phishing emails, organisations and individuals must exercise vigilance when they receive emails with links or attachments. Be extra careful if the message seems urgent and is asking for information such as bank details and other PII, even if it appears to be coming from a familiar source. Verify the legitimacy of the message by calling the sender before taking any action. If the email appears suspicious, delete immediately and employees are strongly advised to report the incident to their IT department.

Mick Pacholli

Mick created TAGG - The Alternative Gig Guide in 1979 with Helmut Katterl, the world's first real Street Magazine. He had been involved with his fathers publishing business, Toorak Times and associated publications since 1972.  Mick was also involved in Melbourne's music scene for a number of years opening venues, discovering and managing bands and providing information and support for the industry. Mick has also created a number of local festivals and is involved in not for profit and supporting local charities.        

- Advertisement -
  • auto draft
  • tagg gig guide - add event
- Advertisement -
  • best in travel australia - sidebar 600x300
  • cocktails 300x600
- Advertisement -

CONTINUE READING