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Stop the hack this Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month and a reminder for all Australians to stay secure online as cybercrime and breaches continue to grow.

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According to the most recent Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Annual Cyber Threat Report, one cyber incident is reported every six minutes, a 23 per cent year-on-year increase.

New statistics from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) also show the number of data breaches notified to the regulator in the first half of 2024 was at its highest in three and a half years.

The OAIC was notified of 527 data breaches from January to June 2024, according to the latest Notifiable data breaches report, the highest number of notifications since July to December 2020 and an increase of nine per cent from the second half of 2023.

Similar to previous reports, malicious and criminal attacks were the main source of breaches (67 per cent), with 57 per cent of those being cyber security incidents.

Awareness and advocacy

October represents Cyber Security Awareness Month and is an opportunity to raise awareness of good cyber practices among small and medium businesses.

As the World Economic Forum finds that 95 per cent of cybersecurity incidents occur due to human error such as opening malicious links, focusing on four simple actions can help safeguard critical information, recognise potential threats, and adopt robust security practices.

Key industry groups, including the Australian Chamber of Commerce, are using the theme ‘Stop the Hack’, while the Australian Government’s message is: ‘Cyber security is everyone’s business’. The four key actions from both campaigns is:

  • Activate multi-factor authentication (MFA)
  • Apply all software updates
  • Avoid password reuse
  • Ask: is this a phishing email?

By focusing on good online habits and promoting a culture of security, Cyber Security Awareness Month aims to strengthen Australia’s digital safety and make the internet safer for everyone.

Victorian Chamber

Cyber education and training is vital but accessing cyber awareness training has often been out of reach for SMEs.

However, in conjunction with global industry leaders Fortinet and Mimecast, the Victorian Chamber’s CyberSimple suite offers affordable and accessible cyber products. Our online and self-paced learning programs help you ensure your staff are prioritising cyber safety.

Visit the CyberSimple suite to protect your business from attacks, threats and scams.

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