Cyber threats update July 2020
Currently, Australia is being targeted and attacked by a “sophisticated state-based cyber actor”. These attacks have been labelled “malicious”, and have been occurring for a while now, but have currently increased in frequency over the recent months.
So, what are the intentions behind these attacks, you may ask? The Prime Minister stated that “State actors tend to want information, but it all depends on the intent and capability of the state actor.”. In addition, saying that “It is difficult to understand what one’s motivation might be”.
About Networks has noticed an increased volume of spam and phishing emails over the past year. These emails are malicious and attempt to infiltrate businesses by luring employees to enter their password or share confidential information. Usually, they do this by impersonating senior personnel in the businesses by either stealing that person’s account information or creating an account that looks similar.
How can you protect your business from these attacks? This is best achieved by upgrading your email security to identify and filter out harmful content that could damage your business, as well as ensuring all business computers and BYO devices have the latest updates and an effective antivirus and internet security package.
Be sure to educate staff on the dangers of spam and phishing emails and to never open a suspicious message.
If you need assistance with any of the above please contact us.
References:
http://www.abc.net.au. (2020). How did a major cyber attack on Australian governments and business happen? [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-19/cyber-attack-no-australian-government-organisations-explained/12373190 [Accessed 9 Jul. 2020].
