Why would Cyber criminals hack me? Isn’t that only for big corporations?

"𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴."

"𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨."

"𝘊𝘺𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘶𝘴."

I hear this all the time.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Cyber criminals aren’t just targeting ASX-listed companies or Banks.

They’re targeting YOU - Your business. Your people. Your data.

Why? Because You’re Easier to Hack.

Cyber criminals think like burglars.

They walk down your digital street looking for:

·       Unlocked doors, which means weak passwords

·       Open windows, which means Unpatched systems

·       Distracted homeowners, which means Staff clicking phishing emails

They don’t care if you’re a solo operator, a not-for-profit, a GP clinic, or a manufacturer in regional Queensland.

If you’ve got:

·       Money

·       Data

·       Customer details

·       Supplier relationships

…then you’ve got what they want.

So Who Are These Cyber Criminals?

Here’s the typical line-up in Australia right now:

Nation-Sponsored Cyber Criminals Are Here Too.

These are highly sophisticated, state-backed teams targeting Australian businesses to:

·       Steal intellectual property

·       Spy on supply chains

·       Disrupt critical infrastructure

Don’t assume they only go after government agencies or defence contractors. Australia’s ACSC has been crystal clear: any organisation could be a target. (Source: ACSC Cyber Threat Report)

 Why You? Why Now?

Cyber criminals target smaller organisations because:

·       You're more likely to pay a ransom.

·       Your security controls might be basic.

·       Your staff are juggling a million things.

·       Your customer data has real street value.

And in 2023 alone, Australians reported losses of $2.74 billion to scams (Source: Scamwatch Annual Report 2023). By the way, there are laws that mandate Ransom payments as part of the Australia Cybersecurity Act. I have already written an article about that. See here: Australia's New Cybersecurity Laws: Are Australian Businesses Ready for the 72-Hour Ransom Reporting Deadline?

What Should You Do?

1.      Accept you are a target.

2.      Train your people.

3.      Secure your systems.

4.      Get expert help before you wish you had.

This is exactly why we exist at Cyber Ethos

At Cyber Ethos, we help Australian organisations stay ahead of cyber criminals without the tech jargon or fear-mongering.

·       Practical advice.

·       Business-friendly solutions.

·       Real-world protection.

Cybersecurity isn’t just for the big end of town anymore. It’s for every Australian business that wants to survive and thrive in the digital economy.

Until we meet again

Stay vigilant. Stay prepared. Stay ahead. Stay Cybersafe

Dr. Kiran Kewalramani

Cyber Ethos - CEO

Helping Australian businesses thrive cybersecurely.

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