Cybersecurity: From an attacker's perspective

Getting into the mind of a cyber attacker was all part of the process at C4EM's Cybersecurity Breakfast at Bendigo TAFE’s Echuca Campus on Wednesday.

Advance Computing's Bill Cashmore outlined the fundamentals of cybersecurity and how to stay safe from cyber theft which is now more lucrative than the global drug trade! Growing on average 15 per cent a year, it is estimated that cybertheft will cost $10.5 trillion by next year.

Bill pointed out a range of suggestions which could help protect your business from cyberattack. These included:

·        Define standards, polices, procedures and guidelines. Businesses need to be very clear on what is expected in the workplace. Clear procedures mean less chance of creating potential gaps for attackers to infiltrate. For example, a fancy firewall won’t protect you from a misconfiguration.

·        Ensure your cybersecurity resources are focussed, experienced and certified.

·        Consider risk when making decisions. Don’t forget there’s no point having a $10,00 firewall if what you’re protecting isn’t worth that.

·        Look at disasters from a whole company perspective.

·        Consider how much information you’re disclosing. That social media post which shows staff in the office is potentially offering hackers information. For instance, sticky notes with computer passwords stuck on the computer monitor! Who is listening to your work-related conversation in public places?

·        Consider your business may be the weak link in a bigger attack. Just because you are a small business, doesn’t mean a cyber attacker isn’t going to use you to get to a bigger target.

·        Perception and reputation matter.

·        A complex password doesn’t make it secure. For instance, a long password is fine – until you use something as obvious as your children’s names/birthdates or your favourite football player. Most of this information can be found on social media posts. It’s far better to use a password phrase with about four words, broken up with special characters.

·        Validate requests for assistance/help. Don’t assume it’s your IT department on the phone. Hackers love lying to you! Ask to ring them back.

For further information about cybersecurity, visit www.cyber.gov.au