Category: News

Acurus Pty Ltd News

Commonwealth Bank Indonesian subsidiary hacked, 162m Users’ data compromised

PT Bank Commonwealth (PTCB), the Indonesian subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), has announced it has suffered a major cyber security attack.

The criminals who claim to be behind the attack said they have obtained data from 162 million users.

The cyber attack occurred when unauthorised parties accessed a web-based software application used for project management, according to an announcement from CBA on behalf of PTBC.

Despite the incident PT Bank Commonwealth “continue to operate as normal”, the statement said.

CBA has said its own systems are separate to those accessed by the hackers, “Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s systems are segregated from PTBC’s systems,”

“We are working closely with PTBC and supporting their efforts in this matter.”

This is the newest Australian owned business to suffer a major data breach in a string of similar incidents across the country.

The severity of these recent attacks have been an opportunity for criminal groups, leaving Australia to be seen a soft target for cyber crime.

Do you know the security score of your key service providers? How safe is the data your organisation collects from its customers? Are you aware of the new laws around data breaches?

Acurus helps companies start to build Cyber Security resilience by aligning to the ACSC Essential 8 as a starting point. We then help companies build out sophisticated and mature IT security capabilities and standards. 

Contact us below to speak with our cyber security experts and start the journey to protect your company today.

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    Big telcos’ NBN market share drops as challenger RSP brands find favour with consumers

    Australia’s biggest telecommunications providers are experiencing falls in market share as challenger RSPs close the gap.

    In the quarter that ended in September, big players in the National Broadband Network (NBN) market saw their shares decrease by over 123,000 residential services.

    According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Telstra, TPG, Optus and Vocus combined market share dropped by 1.6 percentage points to 85.8 per cent, with Telstra experiencing the largest fall in market share, down 0.6 percentage points to 42.7 per cent. 

    Superloop and Aussie Broadband had the largest increase amongst smaller providers with their market share increasing 0.3 percentage points.

    Other providers gained over 140,000 services in the September quarter, increasing their combined market share to 14.2 per cent, up from 12.6 per cent in the June quarter.

    Acurus joined the Superloop Group earlier this year, with the acquisition announced in June, gaining telecommunications white label capabilities and the Anex platform.

    Anex is a Whitelabel telecommunications platform allowing companies to broaden their service offering to include nbnTM and mobile plans.

    Anex is a platform that helps customers disrupt their own industries, and disrupt their own business, while creating new revenue streams, reducing churn, and improving end user experiences.

    Using the Anex platform, your company can join names such as Office Works  in offering mobile and nbnTM to your customers.

    Superloop CEO Paul Tyler speaking at an investor day event, that Superloop had ambitions to secure a four-to-five percent slice of the fixed market, and help power other challenger brands to similar growth.

    “The internet market in Australia is unnaturally structured,” Tyler said. “All the enablers are there to have a natural level of competition but that hasn’t happened as yet. 

    “We believe that’s going to happen in the fixed internet market as well – substantial growth in the challenger segment, to the point that it’s our belief that the natural level of challenger participation in this market will be in the order of 30 percent,” Tyler said.

    This is being proven in the latest report from ACCC show that the smaller providers increased their combined market share by 1.6 percentage points, which is about double the rate of the previous three quarters.

    Contact us today to discuss using Anex to start your journey adding telecommunication services to diversify your service offering and help retain customers.

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      15000 iiNet and Westnet business customers exposed in TPG hack

      15000 iiNet and Westnet business customers exposed in TPG hack

      TPG Telecom’s external cyber security adviser Mandiant has uncovered evidence of unauthorised access to a Hosted Exchange service that holds about 15,000 iiNet and Westnet email accounts for business customers.

      According to a statement to shareholders on the Australian Securities Exchange, TPG said primary analysis to date appears the aim of the threat actor was to search for customers’ cryptocurrency and financial information.

      “We apologise unreservedly to the affected iiNet and Westnet Hosted Exchange business customers,” TPG said.

      “We have implemented measures to stop the unauthorised access, further security measures have been put in place and we are in the process of contacting all affected customers on the Hosted Exchange service. We have notified the relevant government authorities,” TPG said.

      “The matter remains under investigation and we will be communicating with directly affected customers as more information becomes available.”

      Do you know the security score of your key service providers? How safe is the data your organisation collects from its customers?

      Acurus helps companies start to build Cyber Security resilience by aligning to the ACSC Essential 8 as a starting point. We then help companies build out sophisticated and mature IT security capabilities and standards. 

      Contact us below to speak with our cyber security experts and start the journey to protect your company today.

      Contact



        Commonwealth Appoints New Cyber Security Advisory Board

        Commonwealth appoints new cyber security advisory board

        Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security Clare O’Neil has appointed a new Expert Advisory Board to oversee the development of the 2023-30 Australian Cyber Security Strategy to improve Australia’s cyber resilience.

        According to the federal government, the objective of the new Expert Advisory Board is to help make Australia the world’s most secure cyber nation by 2030, overseeing the creation of the new Australian Cyber Security Strategy.

        “Australians have recently suffered two of the worst data breaches in our nation’s history. We must work together to counter these threats, build partnerships and set ourselves up for success,” Minister O’Neil said.

        “Everyone has skin in the game when it comes to Australia’s cyber security. If you use the internet, have a smart device in your home, or have a perspective on what Australia’s cyber security should look like, I encourage you to get involved as the Expert Advisory Board seeks views throughout the strategy’s development.”

        “Australia should aim to be the world’s most cyber secure nation by 2030. The development of the 2023-30 Australian Cyber Security Strategy will outline the government’s long-term vision for the future of Australian cyber security, and the concrete steps required to get there.”

        Acurus helps companies start to build Cyber Security resilience by aligning to the ACSC Essential 8 as a starting point. We then help companies build out sophisticated and mature IT security capabilities and standards. 

        Request a free Essential 8 assessment to start your journey on protecting your company, employees and customers below. 

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          Hackers Attempt to Breach Private Hospital Network

          Hackers attempt to breach private hospital network

          Mater Health, a company that run a network of private hospitals across Queensland, has announced its IT systems have been targeted by hackers.

          The company holds confidential health records of thousands of Queenslanders though say it managed to successfully stop the attack before the information was accessed.

          “There is no evidence that any personal information, medical information, or any other sensitive information has been compromised,” a Mater spokesperson said.

          “We are remaining vigilant and have implemented additional security measures, including requesting staff to change their passwords.”

          The spokesperson also emphasised Mater’s continuous dedication to cyber security, stating its sensitive data remains protected from the ongoing threat of cyber crime.

          “Mater has comprehensive systems and processes in place to ensure sensitive information is protected.”

          Cyber criminals are continuing to target Australian businesses after a string of recent data breaches.

          Do you know the security score of your key service providers? How safe is the data your organisation collects from its customers? Are you aware of the new laws around data breaches?

          Acurus helps companies start to build Cyber Security resilience by aligning to the ACSC Essential 8 as a starting point. We then help companies build out sophisticated and mature IT security capabilities and standards. 

          Contact us below to speak with our cyber security experts and start the journey to protect your company today.

          Contact



            Investigation Into Medibank Launched, Could Face Millions in Fines

            Investigation into Medibank launched, could face millions in fines

            An investigation has been opened into the Medibank data breach which could result in heavy fines.

            The health insurer’s personal information handling practices will be investigated by The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

            In a statement the OAIC said the investigation will focus on “whether Medibank took reasonable steps to protect the personal information they held from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure,”

            “The investigation will also consider whether Medibank took reasonable steps to implement practices, procedures and systems to ensure compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).”

            If the findings of the investigation reveal that this is a serious or repeated breach, Medibank could face penalties of $2.2 million for each violation.

            In response to several data breaches, The Australian Government recently passed a bill to increase penalties for such offenses from $2.2 million to $50 million.

            Although Medibank will not be affected by the new laws, organisations should evaluate the current methods they use to protect the data they collect.

            Do you know your Cyber Security capabilities, and your level of risk? Do you have a clear plan on how to improve your capabilities? Would you know what do to do if you had a cyber security incident? 

            If you are concerned about these new penalties, and don’t understand what your level of risk is request a free assessment to start your journey on protecting your company, employees and customers below. 

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