Tag Archive for: channelnews

Does Australia Need A ‘Cyber Trust’ Label For Security Products? – channelnews

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Australian homes as well as businesses, are facing a crisis especially households or factories that have invested in high-risk Chinese products or have devices with the Chinese manufactured Quectel or Fibcom modules built in with questions now being asked to whether Australia needs a Cyber Trust Mark” label for devices sold at retailers as well as IOT devices sold into businesses.

What Australians are not realising is that they are increasingly buying Internet-connected “smart” devices that are vulnerable to hackers claim experts.

Currently Officeworks is selling security cameras manufactured by Chinese Company Hikvision who own the consumer brand EZVIZ. Hikvision products are banned in Australia, the USA, the UK, and several other Countries.

Another questionable Chinese consumer brand is Anker manufactured Eufy who security cameras are sold at Bunnings and JB Hi Fi.

Because of new security risks experts are now claiming that beefed-up security standards will be necessary to address the growing threats from criminals, hostile governments such as South Korea and Chinese hacking groups as well as Russian and East European hacking gangs as well as State sponsored hacking teams who have been identified as being responsible for major hack attacks on Countries such as Australia, the USA, France and the UK.

Public fears about cybersecurity were stoked in Australia earlier this year with attacks on Optus Telstra, and Medibank, this has seen Australian authorities move to set up security task forces, with the Federal Government currently recruiting people with hacking experience.

Closer to home, hackers have used Ring cameras and Eufy products to spy on kids and even lure them into creepy conversations.

Only this week a mother reported hearing a voice talking to their child in a cot at an NSW home early in the morning.

In the USA Mike Gallagher, the chairman of the House Select Committee on China, is among a growing group of policymakers focused on so-called “Internet of Things,” or IoT devices, which generally are understood as non-computer devices with a web connection.

Examples range from smart TVs, wearable fitness trackers, doorbell cameras, and thermostats to control…

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Balmoral Pasture Menu Now Fraught With Data Risk – channelnews

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Mosman is well known for its price gouging no more at local coffee shops, who are now blaming COVID for a multitude of problems.

Local Balmoral Beach restaurant Pasture of Balmoral has not only lifted the price of a large offer to $5.90 they are also asking customers to QR code an order from their table.

Desperate for a solution to staff problems, Pasture moved to using the Menu data capture app, the only problem is that Menu is capturing more than one’s food order.

At Pasture when you tap to order they are collecting name and address, phone number, email address and you have to pay by either entering your credit card details, or using Google Pay or PayPal.

What they are doing is fraught with danger and risk and there is also no need for an app provider to collect so much personal data.

The first problem is the use of QR codes, according to Pasture management, “It’s because we are short staffed”.

When I asked what security was in place to protect my data management claimed they were “not collecting data” they were also unable to confirm where Menu was storing the data capture from a QR code now on every table.

When you sit down there is no waiter service despite the price rises, there is also no optional menu on the table.

The handy “quick response” barcodes can pull up a menu, a payment system, or any number of websites and widgets on your smartphone.

While they’ve been around since 1994, the pandemic prompted more businesses to adopt QR codes as a result we are seeing a major increase in security problems due to the growth in QR codes and data capture by apps used in cafes such as Pasture.

Meenu is capturing the data, they are building profiles on individuals with staff at the cafes and restaurants clueless as to what is happening with that data.

The convenience of QR Codes comes with security risks.

According to a survey of consumers conducted by MobileIron, 71 percent of respondents could not tell the difference between a malicious QR Code and a legitimate one.

Also, more than 51 percent of respondents did not have mobile security on their devices (or did not know if they did) to provide QR Code security in case of a QR Code-related attack.

My wife is…

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Trend Micro Launches Security For Smart Devices – channelnews

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Trend Micro has unveiled a new all-in-one security service protecting PCs, Macs, mobile phones, tablets, and smart home devices.

The cybersecurity firm’s Device Security Ultimate is a comprehensive solution for device protection, and comes with identity theft and dark web monitoring, wi-fi protection, password manager, and parental controls.

According to Tim Falinski, Managing Director, APAC, Trend Micro, while there are plenty of positives to Australians bringing smart devices into their homes, they come with cybersecurity risks.

“Trend Micro Device Security Ultimate has been designed with all of this in mind – security for the way we live today.

“Whether Aussies are worried about their passwords being hacked, identity theft, or their kids accessing inappropriate content, our new solution ensures that every device is equipped with complete protection against these threats both inside and outside the home,” he said.

Supporting research conducted by Trend Micro found that only 33 per cent of Australians change generic passwords or update device firmware, while just 13 per cent replace outdated routers. It also found that smart TVs are the biggest security concern for Aussies, with 33 per cent concerned about their risks, followed by routers at 27 per cent, streaming devices at 17 per cent, and game consoles at 15 per cent.

Trend Micro Device Security Ultimate is available online and from leading retailers, starting at $312 for a one-year, three-device subscription.

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Latest Microsoft Hack Opens Door For New OZ Attacks – channelnews

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Australian businesses who use Office 365 or Microsoft’s Exchange email service are facing new security threats as hackers and ransomware groups take advantage of a major hack on Microsoft servers that resulted in a free-for-all as hackers hunt down unpatched email servers to attack.

Right round the world Microsoft servers have been exposed with one problem being ransomware groups who are using the flaw to install malicious programs.

Once these programs are installed the perpetrators locks away a user’s data behind strong encryption, making the computer system unusable.

The group then demands payment to unlock it – and if demands are not met, will steal, or delete the data.

Initially, the flaw was being exploited by a hacking group to gain remote access to email servers, from which it could steal sensitive data.

But after Microsoft warned the world it had identified the problem and urged all its users to download a new security updates, other hacking groups quickly became familiar with the flaw.

The UK National Cyber Security Centre said it estimated 7,000 servers had been affected by the flaw and only half had been secured.

The agency said it was “vital” that all affected businesses took action to secure their email servers.

The announcement reveals the scale of the problem among companies for the first time since the global security flaw emerged last week claimed the BBC.

The NCSC is particularly concerned about small and medium-sized businesses that may not have heard about the issue.

“We are working closely with industry and international partners to understand the scale and impact of the exposure, but it is vital that all organisations take immediate steps to protect their networks,” NCSC’s director for operations Paul Chichester warned.

“While this work is ongoing, the most important action is to install the latest Microsoft updates.”

About Post Author

David Richards has been writing about technology for more than 30 years. A former Fleet Street journalist, he wrote the Award Winning Series on the Federated Ships Painters + Dockers Union for the Bulletin that led to a Royal Commission. He is also a Logie Winner for Outstanding Contribution To TV…

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