Warnings issued by the Australian Government highlight the cyber risk for small businesses is just beginning, with the fallout from CrowdStrike’s global outage expected to lead to millions of attacks on small businesses.
Cyber criminals are targeting businesses with phishing scams designed to trick small businesses into giving scammers access to their important business information.
It is essential that everyone on your team is alert for an increase in scams this week and over the coming weeks. Below are four things small businesses should do today to boost their cyber safety in response to the CrowdStrike outage. If you are a sole trader, consider having a conversation with businesses in your supply chain, as scammers are likely to jump from one business to another.
1. Talk to your team today as an urgent priority
As soon as the outage occurred, scammers were planning their phishing attacks to target your business. They may have already sent dangerous emails or be getting ready to call and urge you to ‘check your system today’.
Call a quick staff meeting and forward this email, or share the video with everyone in your business. Small businesses that regularly talk about cyber safety stand a better at stopping scams and hacks before they do serious damage.
2. Know where the scam might come from
Scammers will try phishing attempts across emails, text messages, direct messages on social media, and phone calls. Any unsolicited email, phone call or direct message should be treated with suspicion.
Being suspicious is a good thing and team members should be encouraged to STOP, CHECK & PROTECT.
If you have an IT supplier, be clear about when, where and how your team might receive official help so you can recognise legitimate advice from the scams.
Protect yourself
- STOP: Don’t be rushed into clicking a link, downloading software or providing personal or financial information.
- CHECK – Verify who you are talking to. Call your IT support or financial institution on a number you have sourced independently.
- PROTECT – Act quickly - if you have provided access to private information, contact your bank immediately and report to scamwatch.gov.au to help protect others.
3. Be alert to the most common red flags
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Deputy Chair Catronia Lowe warned that scammers will be encouraging a sense of urgency to pressure you and your team into clicking and complying with scam messages.
Familiarise yourself with the Cyber Wardens article on 7 red flags to help you spot scams.
4. Ensure everyone is following the essential cyber basics
Protect your business by mastering the cyber basics covered in the Cyber Wardens free and simple eLearning: defend against digital break-ins with up-to-date software, set a virtual alarm with multi-factor authentication, and create strong passwords to safeguard every account
You can refresh your knowledge in the Cyber Wardens free and easy Cyber Wardens training.
Encourage team members to complete the training today to ensure everyone is using the basic protections well.
The Australian Government’s Scamwatch will be monitoring for new scams over the coming days and weeks.
Stay ahead of the emerging threats by following their advice. The team at Cyber Wardens will be monitoring for critical small business advice to share with you.
Staying alert over the next few weeks is essential. Keep cyber safety top of mind in every action you take with your team.
