Around Christmas time; a client suddenly went quiet. Unusually; they didn't return emails or calls for around 10 days. Eventually; we connected and learnt that a cyber attack had hit them. It catalysed revisiting a recent cybersecurity seminar hosted by ERA Group. In September; ERA Group; in collaboration with AISA; organized a Cybersecurity Breakfast Seminar at the University Club for clients and other interested attendees. The five main takeaways from the session were: The Board is ultimately responsible and needs to set the strategic agenda for the rest of the organization. Organizations need to have a clear response plan; and it is probably more a case of when than if an organization is targeted. Initiatea Cyber Audit to identify your assets. A third-party qualified person should conduct the audit; having the IT department undertake it is not good enough. IT is separate from Cyber Security (Cyber Security are the auditors). Ongoing training for all employees is the best first line of defense. Thankfully; the client recovered from the attack without any significant impact other than time and severe inconvenience; and there was renewed enthusiasm for cybersecurity planning.
If you are unsure; talk to the AISA or contact ERA Group; and we will help you arrange an audit process. It is better to be prepared for a breach as these events are becoming more and more prevalent. It could happen at any time.
"If you're concerned about any specific areas of cost management; reach out for a chat. Most businesses know there are savings within their cost base; but often; they don’t know how to get those savings; or it’s too time-consuming.”
Grant Morrow Principal Consultant +61 415 203 575 gmorrow@eragroup.com
