Category: Australia

The Australian government has initiated rigorous security measures to safeguard its IT infrastructure from state-sponsored cyber-attacks. As part of this initiative, the Australian Signals Directorate has conducted two cyber security threat hunts on government networks since December of last year, with plans to continue these efforts in the coming months.

This action comes in response to an announcement by Defense Minister Richard Marles, indicating a growing interest from state-funded actors in Australian Critical Infrastructure. The motives behind such interest range from intelligence gathering to disrupting operations and creating chaos.

To address these threats, all small businesses will now receive a free cyber health checkup at least once a month, with a plan to increase the frequency to a fortnight in the coming months. Moreover, the funding allocated in the annual budget to strengthen cybersecurity will be augmented to protect both private and public entities from various malware attacks. Companies will also be mandated to report ransomware attacks within a specified time frame of 4-5 days.

Given the continuous cyber assaults on the telecom sector, exemplified by the recent Optus cyber-attack, a specialized cybersecurity workforce will be deployed to monitor the infrastructure of such companies. This measure is set to take effect early next year.

The Anthony Albanese-led nation has been confronting severe cyber threats, particularly since expressing support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Despite facing digital attacks from Russia, the Albanese government has reaffirmed its commitment to justice and support for Kyiv, extending its protective measures to secure companies operating within the nation. This commitment aims to thwart potential efforts by Russia to influence Australia’s stance, whether to deter financial support to Ukraine or coerce support for the Russian Federation. The government has also instilled trust in its populace by enhancing security measures for companies, with plans for continued efforts in the near future.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled Microsoft’s Cyber Shield, a substantial commitment to bolster the nation’s cybersecurity infrastructure with a $5 billion investment. The announcement was made during the Prime Minister’s visit to the Australian embassy in Washington, D.C., with the presence of Brad Smith, the head of the prominent tech company.

This substantial investment by Microsoft is slated to take place over the course of five years, focusing on enhancing and implementing cloud technology and artificial intelligence.

The Australian Signals Directorate, a prominent national agency responsible for safeguarding against cyber warfare and security threats, will utilize this investment to establish a cybersecurity defense mechanism known as MACS, short for “Microsoft Australian Signals Directorate Cyber Shield.”

MACS will collaborate closely with experts and the military to fortify Australia’s national infrastructure against cyber threats sponsored by nation-states, including but not limited to China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. While Brad Smith did not explicitly name any specific nations, he alluded to previous digital attacks on an insurance firm and a telecom company.

Prime Minister Albanese has pledged that Australia will achieve a high level of cyber resilience by the year 2030.

In parallel, Microsoft is gearing up to construct nine new data centers throughout Australia, complementing the existing 20 server facilities in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney. This expansion is in response to the surging demand for cloud services, with the goal of meeting this demand by 2026.

Furthermore, Microsoft has ambitious plans to establish a “Data Centre Academy” in collaboration with TAFE NSW, designed to provide training for 200 professionals every two years, and to support over 300,000 Australians in acquiring essential digital skills.

 

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1.) Tesla Faces Data Breach, Employee Information Compromised

Tesla, the prominent electric car manufacturer, recently experienced a concerning data breach, with sensitive information of approximately 75,000 staff members being leaked to a German-language business media outlet called Handelsblatt. An extensive investigation conducted by Tesla revealed that two former employees were involved in illicitly obtaining intelligence related to the company’s research and development efforts. These individuals subsequently leaked the acquired information to a news source through fraudulent means.

Due to the unauthorized and illegal nature of the data acquisition, both employees were promptly dismissed from their positions. Tesla took proactive steps to address the situation, contacting the German news outlet to provide updates on the ongoing developments surrounding the breach. In response, Handelsblatt released a statement affirming its commitment to responsible journalism and stated its decision not to publish the leaked details, which included sensitive data such as social security numbers and personally identifiable information (PII) of affected employees.

The Maine Attorney General’s Office officially confirmed the occurrence of the data breach and emphasized that Tesla would take strong actions against the former employees for their violation of the company’s IT and data protection policies. Additional information is anticipated as the investigation progresses.

2.) Australia’s Web Domain Authority Responds to Alleged Data Breach

Recent developments have unfolded concerning the Australian government-operated web domain authority, auDA. A few weeks ago, a notable ransomware group, self-identified as NoEscape, claimed responsibility for hacking into the database of the .au domain, allegedly gaining access to information pertaining to over 4 million registered entities. In light of the potential national security implications, the government launched a comprehensive inquiry into the matter.

However, subsequent investigation revealed that the claim made by the NoEscape ransomware group regarding the theft of 15GB of sensitive data was unsubstantiated. Contrary to their assertion, no infiltration had occurred. As a precautionary measure, the Australian government initiated an independent third-party investigation to ensure a thorough examination of the situation. Authorities are currently awaiting the final report from this investigation to gain a comprehensive understanding of the incident.

3.) Innovative Tactics Employed by Hackers to Circulate Mobile Malware

A new wave of cybersecurity concerns has emerged, with hackers employing innovative techniques to spread mobile malware through the Google Play Store. These malicious actors have turned to stealthy APKs (Android application packages) to bypass security protocols on devices and the Play Store platform.

Cybersecurity firm Zimperium shed light on this alarming trend, noting that the perpetrators are utilizing compression algorithms to render their APKs resistant to decompilation, thereby evading detection by antivirus programs and circumventing conventional security measures. Researchers have identified more than 71 out of 3,300 APKs that function effectively on Android version 9 and higher, revealing the extent of this threat.

While experts in the field commonly advise downloading applications exclusively from official application stores, the emergence of such tactics presents a challenge to mobile users. If these platforms develop vulnerabilities, users may face difficulties in evading malicious downloads associated with Android malware. Vigilance and caution are essential to navigate this evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.

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The Australian Home Affairs department may want to bury their heads in the sand after accidentally exposing sensitive information of more than 50 small business survey participants. Why were they being surveyed? Ironically, to get their thoughts on cybersecurity.

It is believed the names, business names, phone numbers and emails of the participants in the survey were released on the parliament website in response to a question for a government cybersecurity report.

The report is part of a wider initiative that was launched in the wake of last year’s Optus and Medibank cyber attacks – two high-profiled attacks that impacted Australia significantly. Australia’s Cyber Wardens program – which went on to receive $23.4m in the May budget – is aimed at training small businesses and the workforce to be “cyber smart” and aware of possible cyber threats.

The following cybersecurity experts offered their insights on the incident:

Erfan Shadabi, cybersecurity expert at comforte AG:

The incident highlights the importance of adopting robust data-centric security measures to safeguard sensitive information effectively. As cyber threats continue to evolve, it is crucial for government agencies and businesses alike to prioritize data-centric security as a fundamental aspect of their cybersecurity strategy. Proactive measures are vital to safeguarding personal information, fostering a secure digital ecosystem for individuals and organizations alike.Data-centric security revolves around securing the data itself rather than solely focusing on perimeter defence. It involves implementing encryption, access controls, and data masking techniques, ensuring that even if a breach occurs, the data remains encrypted and indecipherable to unauthorized individuals.

Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4:

The irony that data was leaked in response to a survey about cybersecurity should not be lost here. This simply illustrates how easy it is for organisations to accidentally become a party to an accidental disclosure of sensitive information. It goes without saying that collecting private information is a task that must be taken seriously at any time, however, when the topic related to the information collection is something like cybersecurity, it looks very bad indeed when the information is not protected.

Organisations often find that accidental information leakage or data breaches can significantly harm an organisation’s reputation, even if it is not at a large scale. The old adage that any press is good press, can certainly be proven false in this case.

The post Australian Home Affairs Leaks Sensitive Information Of Cybersecurity Survey Respondents appeared first on IT Security Guru.

It’s strange! But its true that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has asked his citizens to turn off their mobile phones daily for 5-10 minutes to combat cyber threats and risks associated to attacks. The suggestion was made after the Nation’s leader was provided a briefing on how to a 5-minute turn-off a smart phone for every 24 hours can help them minimize risk of the device being hacked.

“You can do it while brushing your teeth or while bathing or at least during or after your bed time. But it works and was proven in practical by the National Security Agency (NSA)”, said Mr. Albanese.

Security experts suggest that phony apps often run in the background and collect data and transit to remote servers. If the infected device is switched off for a certain period, the operations of such apps will be forcibly shut down and will take time to persist, at times taking hours or days for the mechanism to restart its activity as it makes the hacker work harder with their notorious activities.
Earlier, security professionals urged their customers to restart their phones once or twice a day. But now they are asking them to switch off their device for at least 5-10 minutes as it helps in blocking the apps that transmit info to adversaries.

How to know the phone is infected?

Whether it’s an Android or iPhone, there is not such device in the world that cannot be hacked. Although, both the manufactures are working hard to deliver security from the operating core, its never a foolproof try!

Unusual data consumption, excess battery drain, poor performance of the device, apps taking a lot of time to start, restarts happening 2-3 times a day, ad pop-ups, money drain from wallets and outgoing calls and messages that you aren’t aware and mysterious search history on the mobile search engine always indicate that the device has been infected.

So, how to block such activities?

1.    Keep your phone connected to 4G or 5G network instead of a Public Wi-Fi while roaming.
2.    Never download apps from online resources, except the app store
3.    Keep it protected with an anti-malware solution
4.    Never browse a-rated sites or games
5.    Switch off your phone for 10 minutes on a daily note.
6.    Never charge the device from public charging posts such as transit stations
7.    Keep your in-car entertainment system free from malware
8.    Never click on email or message links sent by unknown callers or senders
9.    Last, keep your phone updated with the latest software and relative updates

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Australia's signal intelligence agency calls upon an Eighties popstar to fight terrorism, and a simple act of kindness leads to a woman being scammed for thousands. All this and much more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault. Plus don't miss our featured interview with Max Power of Bitwarden.

The Australian government is set to issue a complete ban on ransomware payments after one of its major financial lenders became the target of a massive file-encrypting malware attack on March 16th this year.

As the victim received a ransom demand in Tornado Cash on April 11th, 2023, the Albanese-led government is considering banning cryptocurrency usage and circulation to block ransomware payments.

Technically, transactions related to digital cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Monero are anonymous and therefore hard to ban. However, law enforcement is increasingly able to track such payments by using sophisticated blockchain-driven software. Imposing a ban might prove practically impossible, but it can be done if certain open-source tools are used wisely.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), under the leadership of Cyber Security Minister Clare O’Neil, is urging victims not to pay a ransom as there is no guarantee that the information will be returned instead of being sold online. However, making such payments illegal might not be possible, says Andy Penn, the former CEO of Telstra and currently serving as a lead at ACSC.

Note: Paying a ransom carries the risk of the hacker treating the victim as a soft target and launching digital attacks at regular intervals to test the company’s cyber immunity skills.

The post Australia to issue ban on ransomware payments after Latitude Financial Cyber Attack appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

Australian Defense Ministry has issued a ban on the use of Chinese surveillance cameras and products inside all government buildings from now on. Meaning, all new purchases will be halted and the existing hardware and related software will be replaced in a phased manner.

The issue resumed significance when certain fears were raised in Britain regarding surveillance software and hardware being discovered inside the cars used by UK Government officials and elected members.

Richard Marles, the deputy, confirmed the ban and added that the decision was taken out of concern that the CCTV cameras were sending sensitive data to servers operating in China.

Going deep into the details, an audit was conducted by Shadow Cyber Security Ministry to find a shocking number (969) of Chinese devices being used in government buildings related to defense, foreign affairs, finance and attorney-general office.

And on January 6th of this year, an alarm was raised against the practice of using CCTV devices by the Anthony Albanese administration.

After taking certain factors into account, the Albanese government has now imposed a ban on surveillance devices manufactured by the Xi Jinping led nation. Hikvision and Dahua cameras, that are reported to be business-funded by the government, will top the list of bans followed by other low-cost OEMs.

NOTE- Any device that has a silicon wafer embedded in it can conduct surveillance. So, are all such devices harmful to National Security? Only time can give an apt answer to this question….!

 

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