When Optus telecommunications were severed for a day on November 8th, 10 million customers struggled to make sense of their lives without the connection to the internet, emergency services, app information and, of course, each other. What happened? And, what happened next?
Reflection is an analytical tool that contributes to growth, understanding and potentially, if you can take it far enough, future strategy. Faster Networks write fortnightly articles about anything newsworthy and of interest under the general umbrella of cybersecurity. We get wrapped up sometimes in cyber celebrities, think Elon Musk and Sam Bankman-Fried of late but … Read more
We have witnessed the relentless ease with which data is being compromised, stolen, held to ransom, we are also trying to legislate digital theft, not from the dirty, baseless criminals stealing it but from the companies that allow it to happen. A long read in The Guardian titled Ransomware hunters: the self-taught tech geniuses fighting cybercrime discusses how ransomware is an efficient crime with little accountability. Even if you pinpoint and arrest the criminal, the damage is far-reaching and ubiquitous and can be traumatising to those that have had their identity stolen.
What is lost in this self-talk however is that digital fraud is a sophisticated and relentless threat. Telstra’s chair, John Mullen, came out recently to admonish the Federal government ministers for undermining Optus’ claim that the cyberattack they recently endured was sophisticated.
But privacy and, the information collected about us before we even get to talk of a data breach, is used in so many ways and is a somewhat empty promise that companies make in order to get us to sign our data away.
Optus is deeply apologetic over the latest threat to their customers’ details following a significant cyberattack. The fallout to their customer base and to the security of private data is one of confusion and distrust. Customers were put on high alert early, to note any suspicious activity on their accounts and any notifications that could be asking for information from a source unknown or a fake account. Account holders were told to stay informed, complete a credit check, change Medicare details and apply for a new licence.
