Cyber attack Australia: Three steps Australians need to take to protect themselves
Australian public and private organisations are being urged to safeguard their technology networks as the country comes under a major cyber attack.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said all levels of government and the private sector are being targeted in a "sophisticated state-based"cyber attack.
"We know it is a sophisticated state-based cyber actor because of the scale and nature of the targeting and the tradecraft used," Mr Morrison said.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has outlined urgent advice for all Australians "to protect themselves".
READ MORE: What is a state based actor?
Australia is under a major cyber attack and private and pubic organisations are being warned to be vigilant. PA
"It's vital that all Australian organisations are alert to this threat, and take steps to protect their own networks," Ms Reynolds said.
She urged them to take three simple steps to protect themselves.
Firstly, patch your internet facing devices promptly. Ensuring that any web or email server 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 Australia Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) partner to ensure you get the latest cyber threat advice, to protect your organisation online.
READ MORE: Key points about the 'malicious' intrusion
Nine
Today, the ACSC and the Department of Home Affairs have published a detailed technical advisory, available at cyber.gov.au.
The advisory provides all the necessary steps that Australian organisations must take to detect and also to mitigate this threat.
Ms Reynolds said everyone had a part to play in keeping Australia safe from cyber crime.
"Finally, can I remind all Australians that cyber security is a shared responsibility of us all. For further advice on how to protect yourself from cyber threats," she said.
"I urge all Australians today to visit cyber.gov.au for all of the information you need to keep your organisation and your family safe online."
The Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents is a prioritised list of mitigation strategies to assist organisations in protecting their systems against a range of adversaries, advises the Federal Government.
The mitigation strategies can be customised based on each organisation's risk profile and the adversaries they are most concerned about.
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
