Cybersecurity articles

Living in a cosmopolitan city like Melbourne, getting complacent is easy. We have had a challenging few years during the pandemic but living in Melbourne, or Australia more broadly, we are a lucky country. That's not to say we don't have our issues and are not immune from threats ranging from natural disasters to cyberattacks.  As you know, Melbourne has experienced two earthquakes in the last few weeks. Fortunately, they have not caused widespread damage ...

You've undoubtedly found yourself in a fire drill when working in a tall office building in Docklands or along Lonsdale Street. You understand how it feels when you hear the first beep, beep, followed by the whoop, whoop. So you know, by working on the 19th floor... it will be a long way down the emergency stairs to the marshalling point.  But here's the thing, practising an evacuation saves lives, and all employees should participate, ...

A client sent me an email from Dubai International Airport. He was very proud of himself as he had worked out how to get onto the Wi-Fi without any support. He even sent me a screenshot of the Wi-Fi connection he was on. I could see straight away it was an open connection, and he was at risk of exposing his data to others on the same Wi-Fi. A quick phone call and we had ...

Over the years, we've received the odd phone call from a prospect. Each time we answer it and hear the question, it sends shivers up my spine. "Our server has died, and apparently, we don't have any backups. Can you help us?" This is the worst-case scenario for a business and a challenging conversation. We want to help, but there's not much we can do. It's heartbreaking. As a business, your data is one of ...

A quick peek around your home office will uncover a range of gadgets and tech purchases made over the last few years. When we were all stuck at home, you may have invested in new Apple AirPods, upgraded your TV or finally set up your desk with a second monitor to avoid hunching over and squinting at your tiny laptop screen. Perhaps you even put a TV in your home office to watch the footy ...

There has been much discussion recently about Melbourne's local councils introducing changes to rubbish bin collections, including the introduction of a new bin for glass.  So, many households will now have four bins to sort and put out each week.  Depending on where you live, some councils have floated only a fortnightly collection for garbage (aka. the 'red bin'). But for all the talk of sorting, recycling and doing your bit to reduce landfill, no ...

The volume of app notifications and messages we receive daily makes it easy to feel helpless. You'll remember during the lockdowns how much time was spent at your computer on Zoom calls, while your smartphone was reminding you of your next meeting, all the while trying to homeschool.  You might have thought things would return to normal. But instead, there continues to be a rise in the number of apps and web tools you need ...

You're speed walking (... jogging isn't a good idea in the drizzle) up Collins Street towards Parliament station. Quickly you descend underground, heading across the dimly lit concourse towards the Myki ticket gate. You tap your Myki on the reader, and it fails.  "Why does this always happen when you're already late home?" You turn to the side and notice everyone is having the same issue. Someone has made a human error, and Myki rejects all ...

Imagine you’re walking down Hardware Lane at lunch and suddenly receive a text from your CEO asking for help. The text says they are doing customer visits in Northcote and discover a colleague hadn’t provided the promised gift cards.  As they are standing there with the customer, embarrassed, they ask you to pop into Woolies, purchase six $200 gift cards, and text the details immediately. They promise to reimburse you the cost when they return ...

Step into the ANZ Bank branch on the corner of Queen and Collins Street in Melbourne to reflect on the glory days of banking. Do you remember a distant time when you would line up to withdraw your wages? Or when the Bank Manager knew your name and helped you with a home loan. This branch is what many Melbournians dub the 'gothic bank'. It would not look out of place as Gringots in the ...