Industries — Opinions

Sony Attack: an Australian Perspective

The cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment in late November is not the first time that the Sony Corporation has been a target for cyber-criminals and if anything can be learned from the attacks, it is that corporations are not taking cyber-security seriously.

Mark Gregory, RMIT | 12 Jan | Read more

Risks in Retail: New POS Vulnerabilities and Malware

In 2014, large retailers, franchises and small businesses alike were affected by new vulnerabilities and malware targeting point-of-sale (POS) devices, systems and vendors. One recent vulnerability affecting POS devices and systems was detailed by the US-CERT in its Vulnerability Notes Database.

Thu Pham | 09 Jan | Read more

Sony Hack Attack

There’s been a lot of coverage recently around Sony Pictures and the hack attack which has placed Sony in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, with high volumes of sensitive company data stolen and posted online.

David Baker | 22 Dec | Read more

The Rise of the Cyber Mafia

“There is no clouding the fact that security threats are increasing. Hackers are becoming more advanced in their techniques and with more devices being connected than ever before, it is becoming easier to spread malicious software. The situation is only going to get worse, as companies run from fire to fire, securing whatever is most important right now.”

Ian Hodge | 19 Dec | Read more

Rise of the elastic perimeter

Over the centuries, humans have built walls to keep intruders at bay. The Romans and Chinese were particularly adept at constructing extensive barricades: the Romans built Hadrian’s Wall in northern England and the Antonine Wall across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, while the Chinese first started construction of would become the Great Wall of China in the 7th century BC.

Puneet Kukreja | 11 Dec | Read more

A Look Back At Information Security in 2014

With the major financial card breaches at global retailers, as well as a number of SSL/TLS vulnerabilities, it’s possible you may have missed a few other under-reported security issues that provided valuable lessons to the general technology community in 2014.

Thu Pham | 10 Dec | Read more

Closing the Gap Between Security and the Cloud

The cloud is a major presence in technology news and a trending topic that seems to pop up everywhere these days. The cloud certainly has the potential to transform computing across the spectrum, from individuals to SMBs to multinational corporations, and is rapidly becoming an essential part of the way companies do business.

John Hawkins | 10 Dec | Read more

Identifying the visibility gaps in your security

‘Once more unto the breach’…When Henry V uttered those immortalised words in Shakespeare’s play; most enemy attacks were fought on the battlefield. Yet in modern times, many ambushes come in the form of cyber attacks that wreak havoc in the shadows. These data breaches affect all organisations, not just governments, and also more commonly small and mid-sized businesses.

Brett Moorgas | 10 Dec | Read more

Identity governance: It’s all about the people

New technologies like bring your own identity (BYOI) provide the agility that organisations need to compete in the digital economy, as Jan Zeilinga demonstrated in last month’s blog. But let’s not forget that getting the house in order is an important prerequisite to going “digital”. Employees and contractors need access to the right information to do their jobs, and organisations need to ensure that digital assets are used appropriately.

John Havers | 10 Dec | Read more

Buyer Beware: Five Cybersecurity Consumer Tips for the Holiday Season

Last year, news that US retailer Target’s point-of-sale systems were compromised resulting in the theft of more than 40 million payment card numbers hit Australian headlines. A steady stream of breach stories throughout the year further raised awareness of the issue in this part of the world. But given there are no mandatory breach disclosure laws in this country, you may be wondering ‘If my details were stolen, how would I even know?’ Practically speaking, you’re probably thinking ‘What can I do to protect myself this festive season?’

Chris Pogue | 10 Dec | Read more

The Future of Security is in the Cloud

As we wrap up another busy year in high tech, many IT leaders have cloud technology top of mind. The cloud is profoundly transformative, standing out even in a tech landscape crowded with big ideas and disruptive developments. Despite initial hesitation, cloud adoption has grown rapidly and doesn’t show any signs of slowing.

Paul Lipman | 02 Dec | Read more

Business Applications as a Service (BAaaS)

The rise and rise of the as-a-Service (XaaS) model continues. The various models based around the XaaS approach are all forecast to continue growing rapidly as organizations go on taking advantage of the increased flexibility, lower CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) and on-demand nature of the service. Gartner predicts that Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) will grow at a CAGR (Compound annual Growth Rate of 41.3 per cent through 2016, while Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) will hit 27.7 per cent CAGR in the same period. The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) market will grow at 19.5 per cent CAGR in that time too, demonstrating how significant the cloud delivery of IT services has become.

Gordon Makryllos | 01 Dec | Read more

Proactive Infosec

Are our investments in ‘information security’ aligned with today’s reality? It seems that every day there is a new security incident making headlines. Dictionary.com has nominated the word ‘exposure’ as word of the year. The word exposure has been popularised by events such as Ebola, but more relevant to us in the world of ‘infosec’, data breaches and other related security incidents.

John Ellis | 01 Dec | Read more

Five predictions for IdaaS and Identity Management in 2015

Five years ago we knew changes in technology and the ways in which we do business would present enormous challenges for how IT manages identity, what we didn’t know, was just how fast these changes would take place. By 2015 Gartner forecasts Identity as a Service (IDaaS) will make up 25 per cent of the Identity and Access Management (IAM) market, up from just four per cent in 2011.

Graham Pearson | 28 Nov | Read more

SOFTWARE-DEFINED NEUTRALISATION OF CYBER RISKS

Putting a strong lock on a weak door is unlikely to deter thieves, particularly when there are valuables inside. Yet all too often in the battle against cyber attacks, businesses do just that: they attach advanced digital security systems to inherently insecure corporate network infrastructures. The net result is enterprise IT capabilities that keep those tasked with maintaining risk registers and ensuring data security awake at night, and frustration for those who want to embrace next generation mobility and cloud technologies to generate efficiencies and competitive advantage.

John Suffolk | 24 Nov | Read more

Peeling back the darknet

Most organisations are unaware of the need to bring darknet expertise in-house to ensure that there will be no surprises bubbling out of the darkness. The darknet does not have a pretty face, but it is not entirely evil either; so what is it that your organisation should know about the darknet, and why?

Mark Gregory, RMIT | 24 Nov | Read more

R.I.P. Email?

R.I.P. email. Well nearly. While the number of email accounts continues to grow rapidly, I'm predicting that email, as we know it today, will fade away as the world's most pervasive form of digital communications—possibly within three to five years. It’s not just that there are other ways by which people are communicating, it’s also because email is increasingly a risky way to communicate.

George Fong | 21 Nov | Read more