Cybersecurity experts warn Australian businesses are under threat as the nation remains one of the most targeted for ransomware attacks. Hotels, restaurants, and leisure services ranked among the Top 10 targeted industries.
Threat analysis company Flashpoint ranked Australia eight following 11 ransomware attacks just in July, behind the USA and the UK.
Flashpoint’s July Cyber Threat Intelligence Index reported businesses worldwide battled a whopping 515 ransomware attacks in July alone.
The company’s senior intelligence analyst Ben Gestier said Australia was “consistently among the most targeted countries” for such attacks.
“Safeguarding company assets from ransomwares is crucial for Australian businesses,” Mr Gestier said.
“Businesses should all implement or constantly update their own threat readiness and response plans in order to prevent lasting damage.”
How do you even know if your venue is at risk?
Using a Managed IT service in your club or hotel gives the best security against hackers as these companies constantly monitor and update software patches to ensure there are no loopholes to exploit. In addition, Managed IT Services, such as hospitality specialists Secom Technology Group, can complete Vulnerability Assessments and Penetration Testing to give you an overview of where you have areas in your systems and software that make you vulnerable.
In an interview at the recent Australasian Gaming Expo, Jason Drew, CEO of Secom Technology Group, advised that there are many areas in clubs and pubs that provide opportunities for hackers.
“Hospitality venues hold large data sets of members personal information, and with members and guests logging on to local open access Wi-Fi, and staff often sharing passwords, protecting that data is critical”.
“We also have older systems that have moved to cloud-based solutions but are using hybrid hardware and firmware updates to support technology that was not designed to connect to the internet, such as our VoIP telephone systems. They lack the IT security required in today’s world and the hackers know it”.
Why Is It Important for Businesses to Do Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing?
One of the best ways to ensure that your IT systems and applications are secure and resilient against cyber threats is by conducting regular vulnerability assessment and penetration testing on IT systems and applications. It is a security testing method that combines two complementary approaches: vulnerability scanning and penetration testing.
Vulnerability scanning is the process of identifying and analysing the vulnerabilities that exist in IT systems and applications. Vulnerability assessment tools scan the IT systems and applications for known vulnerabilities and provide a report on the severity, location, and description of each vulnerability.
Penetration testing, also known as a “pentest” or “ethical hacking,” is a manual technical test that goes beyond vulnerability scanning. The test identifies vulnerabilities (loopholes) on a system, network, or an application, and subsequently attempts to exploit those vulnerabilities. Penetration testers use various techniques and tools to exploit the vulnerabilities and gain unauthorised access or perform malicious actions on the system or application.
Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing provides businesses with a more comprehensive and realistic evaluation of their IT security than any single test alone.
How long has it been since your club or hotel undertook a professional IT software and systems assessment?
Secom Technology Group can complete cybersecurity & vulnerability scan and penetration test (including an Executive Summary Report) to ensure your venue is secure.
Find out if your club is at risk today!
Call Jason Drew at Secom Technology – Phone: 1300 781 224
For more information >>> Australia ranked among the most targeted countries for ransomware cyberattacks in July report | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site
