MailGuard Partners Blog

We all use passwords. In fact, we need them to access almost any online device. They are the key to retrieving sensitive data, whether it be online banking, classified company documents or social profiles, such as LinkedIn. They’re the first line of defense to protect crucial information, and often the most vulnerable. It’s not surprising then, that cybercriminals often create phishing scams to steal password credentials in order to procure data for use in criminal activity.

To pay or not to pay? On the surface it may appear to be a relatively straightforward question, however, in reality, the answer is not so simple (particularly if we dig a little deeper). Amidst the plethora of information and advice offered by Governments, cybersecurity professionals and industry experts around the world, there is one thing that we seem to all agree upon: the answer to this critical question is not one-dimensional, whatever your viewpoint may be. Every incident is different because every company has its own unique set of challenges and priorities to consider.

A personalised and targeted email, an opportune offer and the impersonation of multiple brands – some of the techniques employed by cybercriminals in a phishing email scam that resulted in a property buyer losing thousands of dollars as part of a ‘deposit’, supposedly for his new apartment.

Your customers' business data is being held hostage, encrypted with only their attackers holding the keys. So, should they pay up the ransom, or try to recover without handing over company profits to cybercriminals?

It’s been called the “largest cyber-attack on a media company in Australia's history," something that has never been seen before in the country. 

Commenting on paradigm shifts in cybersecurity in 2020, Ann Johnson, Corporate Vice President, SCI Business Development at Microsoft wrote: 

In the final weeks of 2020, news of the SolarWinds hack broke – a cyber-attack that has been dubbed as “the Pearl Harbor of American IT”.    

Cybersecurity is one of the hardest variables to control, with the rapid acceleration of technology and the constant emergence of new attack vectors.

Among other things, 2020 reminded us how fundamental cybersecurity is to business continuity.