Australia is recognised around the world as the “lucky country” because we are wealthy by international standards, so our businesses have become a growing target for hackers. Experts at an international threat analysis company have ranked Australia as one of the most targeted countries at risk from devastating ransomware attacks. Hotels, restaurants, and leisure services ranked among the Top 10 targeted industries.
A Senior Intelligence Analyst Ben Gestier from Flashpoint said Australia was “consistently among the most targeted countries” for such attacks.
“Safeguarding company assets from ransomware 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 could my venue be at risk?
Did you know that one small casino in the USA was hacked through the thermometer in a fish tank?
“The attackers used that (a fish-tank thermometer) to get a foothold in the network”, a security expert explained.
“They then found the high-roller database and then pulled that back across the network, out the thermostat, and up to the cloud.”
This highlights the advice provided by Jason Drew, CEO of Secom Technology Group, in an interview at the recent Australasian Gaming Expo. Jason confirmed 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 to in-house systems among each other, 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”.
I guess we can include fish tanks in that list too!
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 makes you vulnerable.
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
