author: Bart Swiatek
Australia Under Massive Cyber Attack From Another State
The Australian Prime Minister reported that his country was attacked by hackers. The perpetrators were most likely acting in the service of another, unspecified country. The cyber attack affected many entities in a variety of sectors - from government, through basic services and services, industry, to important infrastructure.
IN A NUTSHELL:
- The Australian Prime Minister reported that his country has become the target of a large cyber attack, which affected government agencies, political parties, industry and key infrastructure, among others;
- The perpetrator is most likely another state and there are not many countries capable of doing so, but Australia is not prepared to make any public accusations.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison reported that his country has become the target of a large-scale cyber attack that has affected a variety of entities ranging from government, industry, education, political organisations, health, to providers of basic services and key infrastructure. Interestingly, the perpetrator was most likely another state (via News.com).
“We know it is a sophisticated, state-based cyber actor because of the scale and nature of the targeting and the tradecraft used. Regrettably, this activity is not new. Frequency has been increasing,” Morrison told reporters.
The politician did not say which country was behind the attack, arguing that these types of cases are very difficult to prove, and Australia does not intend to make accusations it cannot prove.
“When and if we choose to do so is always done in the context of what we believe to be in our strategic national interests.
What I can confirm is there are not a large number of state-based actors that can engage in this type of activity and it is clear, based on the advice that we have received, that this has been done by a state-based actor, with very significant capabilities." said the Australian Prime Minister.
Scott Morrison also reported that the Cyber Security Centre is working with the attacked entities to ensure an appropriate level of security. The Minister of Defense, Linda Reynolds, appealed to Australian organizations to pay attention to this issue by taking three simple steps.
"Firstly, patch your internet-facing devices promptly, ensuring that any web or email servers are fully updated with the latest software. Secondly, ensure you always use multi-factor authentication to secure your internet access, infrastructure and also your cloud-based platforms. Thirdly, it's important to become an ACSC partner to ensure you get the latest cyber threat advice to protect your organisation online," she said.