MailGuard Blog

Suzanne Collins, author of the famous trilogy, The Hunger Games, once wrote: “For there to be betrayal, there would have to have been trust first.”  

In a year we would all rather forget; an unfortunate side effect has been a rise in ransomware incidents and opportunistic cyber-attacks. Our current situation has been unexpectedly thrust upon us, forcing a rapid change to our ways of working, and a more vulnerable remote workforce. One positive that’s close to my own heart though, is a growing awareness of cybercrime, and a shared responsibility across the entire organisation from the Board and the CEO, through to the front line, to boost cyber resilience.

If your company has been hit by a ransomware attack, would you pay the ransom?  

This week marks Scams Awareness Week, an annual national public awareness campaign by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) dedicated to reducing the impact of cyber scams in Australia. This year, the campaign aims to shine a light on the dangers of threat-based impersonation scams and to empower people to protect their personal and financial information.

Office 365 users are prime targets of criminal-intent email threats, and this continues to be reinforced by recent reports of massive phishing campaigns threatening to cause catastrophic damage to businesses.

Why are some business owners still not paying attention and underestimating a real business risk? A staggering 80% of Australian companies believe their cybersecurity investments are ‘failing’.

“In a year already marred by natural and biological crises, cybersecurity failures remain a critical threat. 

Tax refunds supposedly from national taxation bodies. Requests to verify accounts from well-known banks via a link. Attachments containing delayed invoices from suppliers. 

“I am a hacker who has access to your operating system. I also have full access to your account. I’ve been watching you for a few months now. The fact is that you were impacted with malware through an adult site that you visited.”

In its report to Parliament in March, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) stated that “Commonwealth entities continue to improve their cyber security; however, ongoing effort is required to maintain the currency and effectiveness of cyber security measures.

It’s been several weeks since many companies (mine included) implemented a remote working policy to keep our employees safe in light of the evolving COVID-19 situation.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, new reports showcasing the good, bad and ugly side of tech continue to emerge every day. The world applauded when mobile device monitoring was enlisted to enforce self-isolation, but it was also horrifying to see cybercriminals setting up fake websites offering fraudulent Coronavirus vaccines.  

Recently, we have seen a surge in cyber-attacks that are capitalising on fears around COVID-19, like this scam intercepted by my team at the end of February, and wider media reports like this one with cybercriminals creating thousands of illegitimate Coronavirus-related websites on a daily basis. 

On March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Two weeks on, and we are seeing technology at its best and worst. Technology is all around us, and as business leaders and tech partners, we understand its power – for good and evil. Here’s a quick look at just a few of the ways that tech is being enlisted during the current crisis.

This week has been a challenging time of transition, not just for our team at MailGuard but for many organisations around the world. Implementing social distancing, switching to a remote workspace, modifying our regular routines and trying to create new health and hygiene habits can really take a toll on our mental health.