As a victim of data breaches from well-known Australian companies, I have come to realise the importance of cybersecurity. It is alarming to see that even after such data breaches, banks and utilities still ask for personal information that is publicly available and already compromised. This makes one wonder if these companies are doing enough… Read more »
Australians lost a record $3.1 billion to financial scammers in 2022. However, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) suggests the real figure is likely much higher, with an estimated 30% of scams going unreported. The findings come from the watchdog’s Targeting Scams report, which combines data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange… Read more »
Australia has joined other countries in announcing a ban on the use of TikTok on government devices, with some states and territories following suit. The rationale was based on security fears and, in particular, the risk the platform will be used for foreign interference operations by China. TikTok is a video-sharing platform operated by ByteDance,… Read more »
It’s not news that artificial intelligence (AI) can be biased, and since AI-powered tools are used for almost everything now, including recruiting, there is unconscious bias in hiring processes. ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has launched a new cyber workforce program to address the issue. The Cyber National Assessment Program for Skills and Employment (CYNAPSE)… Read more »
New NSW Labor premier Chris Minns has deleted his TikTok account as the state follows in the footsteps of federal Labor in banning the Chinese-owned social media app on government-issued devices. Minns said the decision follows advice from the Commonwealth. On Tuesday federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus issued a directive to remove the TikTok app from… Read more »
The Australian government has banned TikTok from all public service devices, claiming the app poses “significant protective security risk” to the Commonwealth. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced on Tuesday he had authorised a mandatory direction to ban the TikTok social media app from any device issued by a Commonwealth department or agency. State and territory governments… Read more »
The Australian government’s ambition to “become the most cyber secure nation by 2030” is destined to fail unless customers demand “security certifications” from businesses, according to a leading data security expert. Lisa Byrne, from data strategy firm Notitia, said customers will be the catalyst for businesses to “wake up” to their responsibility to provide effective… Read more »
The Australian government is launching an offensive against cybercriminals, following a data breach that has exposed millions of people’s personal information. On November 12, Minister for Cyber Security Clare O’Neil announced a taskforce to “hack the hackers” behind the recent Medibank data breach. The taskforce will be a first-of-its-kind permanent, joint collaboration between Australian Federal… Read more »
Online fraud prevention startup Darwinium has raised US$10 million (A$15.6m) in a Seed round led by local VCs Blackbird and Airtree. The US-based customer protection platform was founded by Bondi entrepreneur Alisdair Faulkner, cofounder of cybersecurity startup ThreatMetrix, which sold in 2018 for more than A$1.2 billion (US$817m). Joining him at Darwinium is former ThreatMetrix… Read more »
The government has stepped up pressure on Optus to immediately hand over the information it has on people whose data was breached by the hacking of the telecommunications giant. Optus has also been told bluntly that it is inadequate just to use email to inform more than 10,000 people whose data was uploaded by the… Read more »
Optus fears data on up to 9.8 million of its customers has been accessed in a sophisticated cyberattack – including, for some customers, passport and drivers licence details, as well as phone numbers, dates of birth and email addresses. It made the announcement through the media, in the middle of Thursday’s national day of mourning… Read more »
Sydney-based Devicie has raised $14 million in a Series A to expand offshore with its end-user device security management software. The round was led by New York VC giant Insight Partners, supported Australian cyber security services provider CyberCX. Devicie previously raised $1.3 million in Seed capital from angel investors and the cybersecurity venture accelerator program… Read more »
Brisbane startup DataBench has appointed its first external CEO with founder David Christmas handing over the reins veteran tech exec Paul Muller. Muller has been an advisor to the automated data privacy platform’s board for the past nine months and has previously been a C-suite exec for the likes of VMWare, SAP, Oracle, Solnet and… Read more »
The government’s REDSPICE cyber security program – a $9.9 billion centrepiece to last week’s budget – has come at the cost of a $1.3 billion Sky Guardian drone project which has already set taxpayers back $10 million, senate estimates revealed on Friday. Despite the $9.9 billion headline figure championed by the Treasurer in his budget speech, a… Read more »
The Canberra Cyber Hub, ACT Government and Digital Skills Organisation (DSO) have partnered together to deliver a pilot program aimed at addressing the massive shortage of a skilled workforce in cyber security. DSO CEO Patrick Kidd said the 12-month pilot will help identify which skills companies will be need on the cybersec front in the… Read more »
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