Local Businesses in Australia Suffering Website Hacking

There’s no shortage of headlines about hackers who infiltrate managed servers to devastate small to medium businesses in numerous industries. Unfortunately, outsourcing your cybersecurity management doesn’t always guarantee safety. Online hackers have figured out a way to access the servers of managed service providers (MSPs) through covert measures that wreak havoc on their clients.

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Local Businesses in Australia Suffering Website Hacking

A favorite hat-trick of most hackers is to steal commercial secrets and sell them to the highest bidder on the dark web. This is obviously not a desirable outcome for any business. That’s why it’s advisable to practice strict cyber security measures that’ll protect your company from such attacks.

After all, you don’t want to end up like some of the companies mentioned below who now serve as cautionary tales of what could happen when a hacker strikes.

  • Canva hacking debacle

    Canva is a popular internet startup based in Sydney and it’s one of the most recent victims of cyber hacking. Anyone who has used Canva will tell you that it’s a convenient platform that can turn anyone into a graphic designer.

    However, its popularity has made it a target for hackers who see it as an opportunity to gather user data for nefarious purposes. According to reports, a hacker known only as GnosticPlayers stole the information of more than 130 million Canva users and is selling their data on the dark web.

    The most concerning part about this event is the fact that this hacker stole valuable data including, real names, usernames, customer location and usernames. 61 million of the affected Canva users had their passwords hashed as well, using an advanced password hashing algorithm known as bcrypt. Reports further show that 78 million of the users used a Gmail account to login to Canva. All of this information wouldn’t have been out there were it not for the attack.

    Canva later issued a statement urging their users to change their passwords due to the reported breach.

  • Landmark White security breach

    A Sydney property evaluation firm known as Landmark White recently suffered a devastating security breach which cost well over $8 million to repair. This was all at the hands of an IT contractor that the company had hired to manage aspects of the company’s IT department for over 12 years.

    As part of his attack, Stephen Grant used his credentials to retrieve confidential property valuations, names, contact information, driver’s license information and addresses of over 270, 000 people. Grant published the information on the dark web, where it could have been used for identity theft and to carry out fraudulent bank transactions.

    Not only did Grant abuse a position of power but he betrayed the trust of his colleagues, not to mention how his actions tarnished the firm’s reputation.

  • Ransomware attack non Victorian Hospital

    A number of hospitals in Victoria were hit with ransomware attacks that slowed service delivery and affected numerous patients. This includes Barwon Hospital and Gippsland Hospital, whose servers were badly affected by the attack and left most of their computer-controlled software practically unusable.

    Staff members couldn’t access the hospital’s servers, including its financial systems. To remedy the problem, the affected hospitals had to switch off the affected servers, which meant shutting down booking systems, patient information and management records.

    This also meant that the hospitals had to use manual systems and reschedule appointments since patient records were no longer available.

Conclusion

Australian businesses, big or small, have been faced with damaging security and data breaches carried out by internal and external operators alike. This is becoming even more common as the dark web becomes more popular among hackers and experienced IT operators, and it’s a genuine cause of concern for local businesses like iCannabis, as a security breach can cost millions to clean up.

One way to protect your company is by using a reliable Virtual Private Network or VPN for short. Good quality VPNs come with encryption software that provides iron clad protection.

It might also be a good idea to use some type of password manager that automatically generates new passwords every few days or so to protect user credentials. Also, install and update your anti-virus software regularly.

It’s also important to make sure that the passwords you use for employee access are strong and hard to crack. A good rule of thumb is to use a combination of letters, numbers and characters.

If you’re going to use an MSP of any sort, be sure to ask them if they’ve ever been compromised and what measures they have in place to prevent it from happening again.

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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November 29, 2019 at 7:25 AM by
Local Businesses in Australia Suffering Website Hacking
an anonymous user from: Bursa, Turkey

It's quite sad local businesses are getting hacked. There might be confidential customer information there, which could be obtained and leaked, so it's quite dangerous not to have top-notch security. Of course, maybe not all businesses need them, but there are still ways that you can improve your safety, for example, using antivirus, private browser, or a VPN, or all of them together. Personally, at home, I use Norton antivirus, DuckDuckGo private browser, and Surfshark, and so far, I hadn't had any hacks. Of course, you can never predict these things, but you can always take action to prevent them.

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

Local Businesses in Australia Suffering Website Hacking