September 2022 – Password Sentry

A decade since ‘the year of the hacktivist’, online protests look set to return

Last Updated on 30 September 2022 by Daniel

Vasileios Karagiannopoulos, University of Portsmouth

Many of us vaguely remember the word “hacktivism” from a decade ago. This was a time before serious ransomware attacks dominated current cybersecurity …

I’ve given out my Medicare number. How worried should I be about the latest Optus data breach?

Last Updated on 29 September 2022 by Daniel

Bruce Baer Arnold, University of Canberra

Medicare card numbers are the latest personal details to be exposed as part of the Optus data breach.

Optus has confirmed this affects 14,900 …

Ransomware, data breach, cyberattack: What do they have to do with your personal information, and how worried should you be?

Last Updated on 28 September 2022 by Daniel

Credit bureau Equifax announced in 2017 that the personal information of 143 million Americans – about three-quarters of all adults – had been exposed in a major data breach. AP Photo/Mike Stewart

…

Is Australia a sitting duck for ransomware attacks? Yes, and the danger has been growing for 30 years

Last Updated on 27 September 2022 by Daniel

Paul Haskell-Dowland, Edith Cowan University and Andrew Woodward, Edith Cowan University

Australian organisations are a soft target for ransomware attacks, say experts who yesterday issued a …

What does the Optus data breach mean for you and how can you protect yourself? A step-by-step guide

Last Updated on 26 September 2022 by Daniel

Jennifer J. Williams, Macquarie University; Jeffrey Foster, Macquarie University, and Tamara Watson, Western Sydney University

Optus, Australia’s second largest telecommunications company, announced on September 22 that identifying …

As cyberattacks skyrocket, Canada needs to work with — and not hinder — cybersecurity experts

Last Updated on 25 September 2022 by Daniel

Yuan Stevens, Toronto Metropolitan University and Stephanie Tran, Toronto Metropolitan University

Cyberattacks …

How does the Pegasus spyware work, and is my phone at risk?

Last Updated on 24 September 2022 by Daniel

Paul Haskell-Dowland, Edith Cowan University and Roberto Musotto, Edith Cowan University

A major journalistic investigation has found evidence of malicious software being used by governments around the world, including …

Fight for control threatens to destabilize and fragment the internet

Last Updated on 23 September 2022 by Daniel

International power plays are a threat to a stable, open internet. erhui1979/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Nick Merrill, University of California, Berkeley

You try to use your credit card, but it …

The ‘privacy by design’ approach for mobile apps: why it’s not enough

Last Updated on 22 September 2022 by Daniel

Mobile apps on smartphones are threats to digital privacy Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images

Dusty-Lee Donnelly, University of KwaZulu-Natal

The mobile apps installed on our smartphones are one of the biggest …

As cyberattacks skyrocket, Canada needs to work with — and not hinder — cybersecurity experts

Last Updated on 21 September 2022 by Daniel

Yuan Stevens, Toronto Metropolitan University and Stephanie Tran, Toronto Metropolitan University

Cyberattacks …