If you haven’t heard of the Australian Cyber Security Centre then now would be a good time to get acquainted. It is an initiative from the Australian Signals Directorate which I understand is the highest authority in the country on matters of cyber security. If you have an IT specialist providing support to your firm they may have already mentioned this to you. And if you don’t have a third party specialist providing support I’d recommended you consider getting one.
With a lot more people expected to be working from home there is a need to create greater awareness around cyber security. I have cut and pasted the follow words from the email I received as part of the stay safe online alerts. You might like to subscribe to these alerts too.
What’s happened?
Businesses around the country are looking at ways to protect their staff and vulnerable members of the community from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instructing their staff to work remotely may be one way of minimising the spread of the virus. However, remote work arrangements can have security implications and cybercriminals may attempt to take advantage of this. The cyber risks of flexible work arrangements could include malware infection, unauthorised access, data security, and unsecured devices used by staff.
It’s important that businesses and their staff ensure that remote access to business networks are secure so they aren’t vulnerable and business information isn’t exposed.
How do I stay safe?
Ensuring good cyber security measures now is the best way to address the cyber threat.
The ASD’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has produced some great advice to help businesses stay secure from cyber threats whilst managing a remote workforce: https://www.cyber.gov.au/news/cyber-security-essential-when-preparing-covid-19.
More information
Stay Smart Online has more advice on protecting your business assets including mobiles and tablets: https://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/protect-your-business.
To stay up to date on the latest online threats and how to respond, sign up to the Stay Smart Online Alert Service, https://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/alert-service.
Here is a link to the Australian Cyber Security Centre home page: https://www.cyber.gov.au/
Here is a link to the home page of the Stay Smart Online service: https://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/