The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has issued an advisory report for companies to “urgently adopt an enhanced cyber security posture”. This is a driver for all corporations operating in Australia beyond the financial services industry to manage cyber risk effectively and efficiently.
As the crypto frenzy descends into freefall status and Elon Musk reneges on his total commitment to a Twitter takeover at the exorbitant per share price of $54.20 based on the fake account ratio, we are checking in to something more wholesome. The 21st AusCERT conference is delivering a message of kindness to shape the narrative of cyber-security in retaliation to uber threats of unkind actors.
The Pegasus story unravels at such a pace and it is easy to think that people have moved on but then another angle entirely is presented. This time it is Catalan independence, it’s not a new angle by any stretch but one that has finally made its way to mainstream media. Ronan Farrow has done a long form piece of investigative journalism on the threat of modern spyware, with a focus on NSO groups spyware.
The downtime I took to digest the craziness of the crypto movement, led me to a podcast countering the hype surrounding Bitcoin as a global movement for change based on decentralised economics.
Cryptocurrency is resurrecting the need for fossil fuels due to energy demand for “proof of work”. Stronghold Digital Mining in the US has actually purchased 2 coal burning power plants to cater for its crypto-mining business and this is inevitably the future. Make it stop!
Russia has been a key player in cyberattacks over the last two decades with hacking collectives making waves through ransomware, spyware and data theft. According to Forbes earlier this month, 60% of cyberattacks were linked to state actors affiliated with Russia. If Russia wants to fight using cybertechnology they certainly have the means, workforce and intelligence.
One way to intervene on Russia’s physical onslaught is through cyberwar, which is being fought from all sides. Enter Anonymous. In their words, “internet-based, international team from literally all around the world.” In our words, cyber-advocacy for the underestimated wrath and underprivileged citizens of the world, through exploitation of fake news and unjust criminal war activity. They have tweeted a call for hackers to join the squad.
The ASIO chief, Mike Burgess, stood up in Canberra last week at ASIO headquarters and spoke of a thwarted attempt at election interference, calling out a scam of a foreign entity (that he would not name) to insert unknowing election candidates to campaign in the upcoming federal election. And then, choose the electoral staff for that candidate with a view to “secretly shaping the jurisdiction’s political scene to benefit the foreign power”.
In the middle of last year, 2021, according to data activist Asher Wolf, teachers still had access to a single directory for all student contact emails, amongst other details, using the Google Classroom.
