Human Risk Management Blog

New ASD Cyber Threats Report Shows A Cybercrime Incident Is Reported in Australia Every Six Minutes

Jacqueline Jayne — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 17:23:48 GMT

The annual Cyber Threat Report by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) was released this week, containing insights that every Australian business and citizen should read. The ASD received 94,000 reports of cybercrimes over the past year, 23 percent more than the previous financial year.

[Cybersecurity Awareness Month] Password Security: Do Not Get Bit by Count Hackula

Jacqueline Jayne — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 13:02:25 GMT

Our login credentials of a username and password are sometimes all that stands between our personal identifiable information and cybercriminals. Count Hackula could be waiting in the shadows to bite on your weak or reused password. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the perfect time for a reminder of the importance of best practices when it comes to passwords.

Australians Reporting Alarming Number of Losses to Vishing and Smishing Scams

Jacqueline Jayne — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 19:54:27 GMT

We know that scam calls (aka vishing) and scam SMSs (aka smishing) are out of control, and for most unaware Australians, they continue to cause pain and suffering. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Australians reported at least $3.1 billion in scam losses in 2022, an 80% increase from 2021. What that says to me is that something is missing.

Australia’s National Anti-Scam Centre: Prevention Is Better Than the Cure

Jacqueline Jayne — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 14:56:48 GMT

Australia officially launched their National Anti-Scam Centre this week. With more than AUD $3.1 billion lost each year, Australians need support.

Cyber Insurance: Is Paying a Ransom Counter-Productive?

Jacqueline Jayne — Mon, 22 May 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Food for thought as discussed on May 18, 2023, an article posted in The Australian Insurance Council: Banning paying a ransom to cyber hackers is counter-productive where Andrew Hall, the Chief Executive of the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), stated that “attempts to ban businesses from paying ransoms for cyber attacks risks eroding trust and relationships with government.”

2022 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Scams

Jacqueline Jayne — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 16:57:45 GMT

In years gone by, Black Friday was a 24-hour rush to the shops (you remember those places with actual people and merchandise that you could touch) where there was a set time for you to grab a bargain. People arrived at the shops the night before waiting in line for the doors to open. Then, in 2005 the clever people at the National Retail Federation decided that an online frenzy of shopping was needed the Monday after Thanksgiving. We know this Monday as Cyber Monday. In 2008, Cyber Monday hit the big time as Thanksgiving fell five days later than in 2007 so the people were hungry for the online deals. The anticipation of the online deals created a frenzy and launched Cyber Monday into the stratosphere. Over time, Black Friday became Black November as retailers cashed in on the sales and consumers obliged.

What Happens to an Organisation When It Has No Security Culture?

Jacqueline Jayne — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 19:44:21 GMT

Let’s begin by looking at what culture is and why it matters. Culture is tacit and elusive in its very nature. It is often unspoken, based on behaviours, hidden in the thoughts and minds of people. We often see it embedded in the organisation’s framework: in its vision, mission and values, which can also describe the attitudes it has towards various things. Such as, does it value innovation over tradition? Does it focus on people or processes? Does it embrace change? Or, will it fight it every step of the way?

Ransomware Takes its Toll

Jacqueline Jayne — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 13:23:04 GMT

Ransomware is defined as vicious malware that locks users out of their devices or blocks access to files until a sum of money or ransom is paid. Ransomware attacks cause downtime, data loss, possible intellectual property theft, and in certain industries an attack is considered a data breach.

Are You Expecting a Special Invitation?

Jacqueline Jayne — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 16:05:22 GMT

According to MailGuard, a few days ago an email from our Prime Minister Scott Morrison started to do the rounds.