The COVID-19 pandemic has created a multitude of new challenges for Australian organisations. The scramble to enable a remote workforce in order to maintain some level of normality in day to day operations in particular, has left many organisations vulnerable to COVID-19 related cyber attacks.
With cybercriminals now targeting remote workforce's and businesses through convincing scams and phishing attacks, the need to be vigilant and thorough in protecting your data and organisation from harm has never been greater. Unfortunately, the major cause of serious cybersecurity breaches in Australian organisations is confirmed to be the employees in your team.
How well is your team equipped against cybercriminals?
Between March 10 and 26 of this year, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) revealed it received more than 45 cybercrime and cybersecurity incident reports from individuals and businesses. All 45 cases were linked to COVID-19 themed scams and phishing activity.
The ACSC continues to issue new threat updates, with acting Head of the ACSC Karl Hanmore noting "Cybercriminals are very opportunistic and we are seeing an increased targeting of Australians through COVID-19 themed malicious activities.".
Find out more about Diamond IT's Cybersecurity Awareness Training.
Would your employees have the awareness to detect the below phishing attacks and scam messages?
Image 1: Phishing Email Example
Image 2: Scam Text Message
How can Cybersecurity Awareness Training create a human firewall?
Employees who are working from home can often be caught off guard by cyberattacks, with security often falling off the agenda and IT usage policies not being practised.
The purpose of Cybersecurity Awareness Training is to educate staff about cyber threats and attacks they may be subjected to each day. Training for all levels of users in your organisation on cybersecurity awareness raises people’s vigilance on what to look for to spot a cybersecurity threat, as well as having the skills to safely take the appropriate action required if they do receive a malicious attempt.
Cybersecurity training for all levels of employees (your human firewall) is every bit as important as the other means of protection, including software, hardware and physical security practices.
Cybersecurity Awareness Training ensures you and your employees:
- Are comprehensively aware of cyber threats, the associated risks, and how to minimise them.
- Understand the part everyone must play in protecting your organisation and client’s data.
- Can identify cyber threats and manage them appropriately.
- Understand how to handle personal information provided by clients and partners.
- Comply with the state and federal guidelines in regard to staff cyber and data protection awareness and education.
We urge all organisations to remain vigilant, by reviewing these critical COVID-19 cybersecurity considerations to ensure their employees are adhering to cybersecurity best practices.
How Diamond IT can help improve cybersecurity in your organisation
Diamond IT's Online Cybersecurity Staff Awareness Training and Cybersecurity Healthcheck can have an immediate impact on the strength of your security. We can help you ensure your staff education programs are fit for purpose and align with best practice.
Our Business Technology Managers (BTMs) and Technology Consulting team are specialists in improving your internal cybersecurity, and are ready to speak with you. Contact our team on 1300 307 907 today.
