< News Compulsory Disclosure of Ransomware Payments Looms 6 Aug 2024 Australian organisations will soon be forced to disclose their ransomware payments to cyberthieves. The measure is included in a landmark new Cyber Security Act to be brought before parliament’s next sitting. It comes in response to research which shows Australian businesses have been paying untold amounts of ransom to hackers in what is now a mounting wave of ransomware hacks. Ransom payments flourishing The government is reportedly concerned that the practice of quietly paying off cybercriminals has flourished in secrecy. While the government originally planned to place an outright ban on ransom payments, it’s now focused on mapping the scale of the problem. "People are paying criminals money and it is happening in the darkness (and) we need to bring this out into the light," said former minister for cybersecurity Clare O'Neil. "Government cannot win this war alone. We need a whole-of-nation effort here." Every six minutes In its 2022/23 Annual Cyber Threat Report, the Australian Cyber Security Centre confirmed it was notified of a new cyber incident every six minutes on average. Ransomware attacks have increased roughly five-fold since 2020. As worrying as those numbers might seem, they are still only a glimpse of the real problem. "It is believed that in the Five Eyes countries alone - Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States - literally billions of dollars in ransoms is being paid, and criminal gangs are reinvesting that money … to attack us again," O'Neil said. Business groups concerned Cyber security experts say the proposed changes strike the right balance. However, business groups say they are concerned the new disclosure rules could sink some small operators. To help tempt reluctant businesses into transparency, the government is proposing that disclosures will not be subjected to "the glare of regulators". A "Limited Use Provision" will prevent the Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Cyber Security Centre from sharing the information more widely, except in narrow circumstances. Said O’Neil: "This is a no-fault scheme. We're not blaming businesses … they're victims of a crime." Under the existing proposal, regulators such as the Privacy Commissioner would still be allowed to investigate and prosecute companies that "leave the front door unlocked", but only using their existing powers. "It doesn't absolve business of any of their legal responsibilities or liabilities," O'Neil said. "We expect Australian businesses to take care of their customers … but sometimes things do go wrong." Not just the private sector The problem of ransomware attacks is not limited to the private sector. The Australian Signals Directorate said almost one-third of cybersecurity incidents reported in the 2022-2023 financial year came from the public service. Consecutive audits of the government sector have found it has a "low-maturity level" when it comes to cybersecurity, despite holding the largest store of sensitive data about Australian citizens. As it stands, about 1,000 Australian entities providing "critical infrastructure" such as energy, healthcare and banking services are obliged to report ransom payments. Attacks escalating The new mandatory reporting measures are recognition that there is no end in sight to ransomware attacks. Johanna Weaver, director of the Tech Policy Design Centre at ANU, said "No matter how good our cybersecurity protections are … (attacks) will continue to happen." She applauded the push to establish an ongoing "Cyber Incident Review Board", similar to what exists in the aviation industry, to learn from other major breaches, such as the attack on MediSecure. Avoiding Ransom Payments To be truly secure, an organisation’s data must be protected not only when it’s stored, but also while it’s enroute to and from storage. Managed File Transfer (MFT) solutions such as the class-leading GoAnywhere MFT encrypt data at rest and in transit, complying with the highest data security standards (including the US’s and Europe’s HIPAA, HITECH, PCI DSS, SOX, and GDPR). MFT manages inbound and outbound file transfers across an organisation, using industry-standard file transfer protocols such as SFTP, FTPS, and AS2 to send files securely, and encryption standards such as Open PGP and AES to protect data in transit and at rest. Local Expertise on Hand Generic Systems Australia are your local experts in Managed File Transfer solutions. We’ve assisted hundreds of organisations across the Asia-Pacific region to secure their data and keep cybercriminals at bay. If you’d like to discuss improving your cybersecurity, please feel welcome to contact me , Bradley Copson. I’m always happy to have an obligation-free discussion, explain how simply we can transition you from outdated software and approaches, and offer you a zero-cost Proof of Concept. Attribution: sections of this article were substantially sourced from an item originally published by ABC News Australia. Previous Next

< News Why Are Australian Companies Adopting Managed File Transfer (MFT) Solutions? 18 Aug 2026 If you asked an Australian board five years ago how their organisation moved sensitive files, you'd have been met with silence. Ask today, and you'll get nervous glances around the board table… landing on the CIO or CISO. That shift - from nobody asking to everybody asking - explains much of why Managed File Transfer (MFT) has moved from back-office plumbing to a board-level purchase. Here's what's driving adoption across Australian enterprises. Regulator asked a question we couldn't answer For most Australian organisations, the first driver isn't technology - it's evidence. The Privacy Act and the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme make untracked data movement a legal liability. APRA-regulated entities must satisfy CPS 234 on information security and, since CPS 230 came into force, demonstrate control over third-party risk. Critical infrastructure operators carry SOCI Act obligations. Government suppliers need to line up with the ISM and Essential Eight (soon to evolve into ASD's Essentials series). What all these frameworks have in common: they demand proof. Who sent what, to whom, when, encrypted how, retained for how long. Ad-hoc scripts and email attachments can't produce that evidence. MFT platforms can — and that audit trail, more than any security feature, is what gets the purchase order signed. The headline every board is desperate to avoid Each new cyber security breach headline triggers the same boardroom question: how do we move files? And the honest answer, in many organisations, is uncomfortable: a tangle of legacy FTP jobs with hardcoded credentials, personal Dropbox accounts, USB drives and email. Discovering that sprawl is what prompts procurement. Post-Optus and Medibank, with ASIC and APRA signalling personal accountability for directors, no Australian board wants to be the one that couldn't answer. Third-party data exchange: the risk frontier Banks, super funds, health insurers and government agencies exchange enormous volumes of sensitive data with partners - payroll providers, clearing houses, brokers, transcription services. Recent Australian incidents have shown how little visibility many organisations have into where supplier-bound data actually goes once it leaves. MFT addresses this with guaranteed delivery, non-repudiation, partner onboarding controls and centralised policy enforcement. When your regulator asks whether supplier data stayed onshore and encrypted, "we think so" is no longer an acceptable answer. The quieter triggers Not every purchase starts with a breach or a regulation. Common prompts include a cyber insurance questionnaire asking how sensitive data is transferred, an adverse audit finding on legacy transfer methods, a failed overnight file job that broke a business process, or a cloud migration that forced a rebuild of transfer workflows anyway. Even though MFT significantly enhances an organisation’s productivity, Australian enterprises don’t usually buy MFT for productivity. IT efficiency and productivity are bonus improvements from MFT, on top of the cyber security enhancements. The post purchase necessity Every MFT buyer must bear in mind that MFT is not a set-and-forget purchase. Securely configuring your MFT solution and keeping its version current need to be part of an organisation’s operating model from day one. Here to help At Generic Systems Australia , we have more than a decade’s specialised experience assisting Australian organisations to choose, install and configure the right MFT solution for their needs. We are your local experts, in your time zone, standing by to help you whenever needed. If your organisation can't confidently answer "how do we move files?" – perhaps that's the conversation to start this week. Previous Next

< News How MFT Helps Thwart AI Security Threats 19 Feb 2026 Artificial intelligence has changed the cybersecurity landscape in two powerful ways: it has given defenders new tools for detection and automation, and it has given attackers faster, smarter, and more adaptive methods for exploitation. As organisations adopt AI across their operations, the risks tied to data exposure, model manipulation, and shadow‑AI usage are growing rapidly. That’s exactly why Managed File Transfer (MFT) has become a critical control point in modern AI security strategies. One of the biggest challenges today is that AI systems thrive on data - large volumes of it, moving constantly between teams, tools, and external partners. Every transfer is a potential attack surface. Traditional ad‑hoc methods like email attachments or unsecured cloud links simply can’t keep up with the sophistication of AI‑powered threats. Hardened, governed, auditable MFT platforms, however, provide a hardened, governed, and fully auditable channel for moving sensitive information, dramatically reducing the opportunities for AI‑driven attacks to take hold. Modern MFT solutions like the award-winning GoAnywhere MFT incorporate real‑time threat detection, anomaly spotting, and adaptive security controls. These capabilities are essential as attackers use AI to probe for weaknesses. AI‑enhanced MFT can identify suspicious patterns, stop threats as they emerge, and strengthen encryption and key management practices, giving organisations a proactive defence posture rather than a reactive one. However, the real blind spot isn’t always the transfer itself - it’s what happens after the data arrives. Many organisations have invested heavily in securing file movement, only to lose control the moment an employee uploads that same data into an unvetted AI tool. Closing the Gap As one analysis notes, the risk often comes from the gap between secure systems and everyday AI use, where sensitive information can slip outside established controls without malicious intent. MFT helps close this gap by centralising oversight, enforcing governance, and ensuring that data entering or leaving AI workflows remains visible, compliant, and protected. As AI governance frameworks mature, organisations are under increasing pressure to demonstrate transparency, accountability, and strong data‑handling practices. MFT supports these requirements by providing consistent audit trails, policy enforcement, and automated compliance reporting - key elements of responsible AI governance. In a world where AI accelerates both innovation and risk, MFT acts as a stabilising force. It ensures that sensitive data moves safely, predictably, and under strict governance - reducing the likelihood that AI‑driven threats can exploit gaps in the flow. For organisations embracing AI, MFT isn’t just a file‑transfer tool; it’s a foundational security layer for the era ahead. Help Right Here Generic Systems Australia is Fortra’s #1 GoAnywhere Partner in Australia and New Zealand, with decades of experience enabling organisations to become more efficient, organised and protected. Our Migration Service makes the transition even easier. If you’d like a no-cost, no-obligation discussion about how we could help you simply and affordably adopt an advanced MFT solution, please feel welcome to get in touch with us. Previous Next

< News Cyber Security to be Top Investment for 2025: CIOs 17 Sept 2024 Australian and New Zealand CIOs are planning to invest significantly in improved cyber security in 2025, according to a recent survey by analysts Gartner. Some 88% of the region’s CIOs and technology executives said they would invest in heightened cyber security measures. 82% said it would be their top investment priority. More Attacks, More Regulation Gartner attributes this focus to greater government regulation, coupled with some of the largest cyberattacks seen in ANZ so far. Speaking at the 2025 Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo on the Gold Coast, Gartner VP Brian Ferreira said “Organisations face greater scrutiny as they batten down the hatches to avoid becoming the next target or breaching stewardship. This continues to drive significant focus and investment towards cybersecurity and legal compliance into next year.” The uncertain economic climate businesses have operated in recently has increased executive and board scrutiny on technology investments, he said. Gartner’s survey found that increased focus on cyber security will attract investment away from previous ANZ CIO priorities of legacy infrastructure (43% of respondents), augmented reality, virtual reality and immersive technologies (17%) and next-generation compute technology (11%). Heightened Focus Consistent with their focus on cyber security, Gartner’s survey found that ANZ CIOs have a significantly heightened focus on ensuring compliance and minimising risks (92% - up from 57% last year). “As Australian regulatory landscapes continue to evolve, ANZ CIOs are also facing more stringent laws to increase stewardship obligations,” Ferreira said. “It’s incumbent upon CIOs to steer their organisations towards a future marked by digital stewardship, responsible innovation, stringent compliance and active participation in shaping regulatory norms.” Help for ANZ CIOs Generic Systems Australia has many years of experience helping ANZ CIOs and IT teams protect their valuable data with class-leading Managed File Transfer solutions. From the initial scoping of companies’ legacy data transfer approaches, through zero-cost Proof of Concepts and hassle-free Migration Services , we help ANZ companies stay focused on running their business without disruption as we transition them to more secure approaches. If you’d like a to discuss how your organisation’s cyber security can be boosted by a cost effective Managed File Transfer solution, please feel welcome to contact me . I’m always happy to have an obligation-free discussion. At Generic Systems Australia , we’re your local experts in Secure Managed File Transfer. Previous Next

< News Neil-Proof Your Data! 9 July 2026 Neil the Seal’s antics have demonstrated that moving a massive payload from point A to point B requires a safe, controlled pathway.😉 Managed File Transfer is the digital equivalent of Neil-handling. It creates carefully planned and controlled routes for your data so there are no unexpected detours, messy disruptions or surprises. If you’d like to discuss creating secure, governed movement for your business data - no matter how big the file – let me know. I’m always happy to demonstrate how Generic Systems Australia can deploy the world’s leading MFT anywhere in Oceania. Even Tasmania (Neil permitting, of course!) Previous Next

< News The Value of 3rd-Party Reviews 7 May 2025 Third-party review sites can be a valuable source of insight for IT teams tasked with selecting the best software solution for their organisation. Reputable and long-established sites such as PeerSpot , SoftwareReviews , G2 , and Capterra can help identify which solutions are most widely used and highest rated within your industry. This can in turn help you proceed quickly to a decision on which solution(s) to trial. Reliable Reviewers Whether you’re looking for Managed File Transfer (MFT) solutions or other software, it’s best to prioritise reviews on sites which have established themselves as trustworthy over the test of time and thousands of peer reviews. These sites capture the opinions of real product users sharing their real-life experiences – positive and negative. In fact, Gartner’s 2024 annual study of 2,499 software decision makers found that customer reviews and ratings were the most used information source by buyers, above personalised product demos, user guides, and case studies. More than a third of software buyers described reviews as “extremely important” to their purchase. Are Reviews Trustworthy? It’s illegal in Australia and New Zealand for businesses to create fake or misleading reviews or arrange for others do so. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission suggests the following red flags may indicate that a review is fake: · a spike in highly positive or negative reviews over a short period of time; · many reviews written from the same email or IP address; · similar reviewers’ names; · generic reviews without specific detail about the business or product; and · reviews written in similar language as other reviews for the same business or product. Thankfully, the trusted third-party sites I listed above have processes in place to weed out dubious software reviews. They also publish the measures they take to assure the validity of the reviews they receive. Other Sources of Insight Beyond peer reviews, here are some other useful resources to consult when selecting the right software solution for your business. · Case studies : Demonstrate how businesses are using the solution; · Product videos : Illustrate solutions’ features and benefits; · Webinars : Subject matter experts demonstrate the configuration and use of the solutions; and · Written Resources : Provide a variety of reader-friendly explanations and examples Local Advice and Guidance At Generic Systems Australia, we have decades of experience installing and supporting the world’s premier MFT , GoAnywhere, across Australia and New Zealand. Founded in 1993, we’re proud to count among our clients some of the region’s most iconic brands. Leveraging our unique skills and readily available local support, they rely on us to make their IT systems more secure and efficient, in turn, making their teams more productive. A long-term partner of Fortra (formerly Help Systems, and Linoma Software, the original authors of GoAnywhere MFT), our in depth understanding of GoAnywhere’s capabilities - including Advanced Workflows, data translation, auditing and compliance, automation and security - enables us to devise optimal deployment solutions, provide rapid Proofs of Concept, and move ahead quickly with implementation. In fact, we have exclusively managed GoAnywhere deployments for some of the region’s largest multinational corporations and Government departments, as well as small- to medium-sized businesses. Our Australia-based technical experts provide clients with the reassurance that local help will always be on-hand. If you’re exploring how to boost your efficiency and bottom line by leveraging Secure Managed File Transfer technology, please feel welcome to contact me for an obligation-free discussion. Or, if you’d prefer to read more, you can check out the many resources on our Generic Systems Australia website, including our exclusive Local MFT Buyer’s Guide . At Generic Systems Australia, we’re your local experts in MFT. Previous Next

< News Cybercrime Incident Costs Triple for Australian Enterprises 21 Oct 2025 The latest Annual Cyber Threat Report from the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) revealed that the average cost of a cybercrime incident to large Australian businesses has more than tripled year on year. This alarming surge reflects not just the growing sophistication of cybercriminals, but also the expanding attack surface of enterprise systems and the rising stakes of data breaches in an increasingly digitised economy. Why Average Costs are Skyrocketing Several converging factors explain the dramatic escalation in financial impact. High-Value Assets : Large businesses hold vast troves of sensitive data — customer records, intellectual property, financial systems. These are prime targets for ransomware and data exfiltration. Cybercriminals are increasingly tailoring attacks to exploit these assets, demanding higher ransoms and causing deeper operational disruption. Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: Enterprises often rely on complex ecosystems of vendors, partners, and third-party platforms. A breach in one node can cascade across the network, amplifying the damage and complicating response efforts. Regulatory Penalties and Legal Exposure: Stricter data protection laws mean that businesses can incur hefty fines and legal liabilities for a breach. The reputational fallout can also erode customer trust and shareholder value. Extended Downtime and Recovery Costs : Cyber incidents often cripple critical infrastructure, leading to prolonged outages, lost productivity, and expensive recovery operations. For large businesses, even a few hours of downtime can translate into millions in losses. According to the ACSC, the average cost per incident for large organisations has surged from to over AUD $202,000 in just one year. It’s a stark reminder that reactive security is no longer sufficient. MFT: A Strategic Shield One of the most overlooked yet powerful tools in the cybersecurity arsenal is Managed File Transfer (MFT). Unlike ad hoc file sharing methods such as email attachments, cloud drives, or FTP, MFT provides a secure, auditable, and policy-driven framework for exchanging sensitive data. Here’s how MFT — such as the class leading GoAnywhere MFT — helps businesses reduce cybercrime exposure. End-to-End Encryption : MFT platforms encrypt data both in transit and at rest, ensuring that even if intercepted, the contents remain unreadable to unauthorised persons. Access Control and Authentication : Granular permissions, multi-factor authentication, and role-based access prevent unauthorised users from accessing or manipulating files. Automated Workflows and Monitoring : MFT systems can automate file transfers with built-in logging and alerts, reducing human error and enabling rapid detection of anomalies. Compliance and Audit Trails : MFT solutions often include detailed audit logs and compliance reporting features, helping organisations meet regulatory requirements and demonstrate due diligence in the event of an incident. Reduced Shadow IT : By centralising file transfers within a secure platform, MFT reduces the risk of employees using unapproved tools that bypass corporate security controls. From Reactive to Resilient As cyber threats grow in scale and complexity, large businesses need to shift from reactive defence to proactive resilience. This makes investing in secure infrastructure like Managed File Transfer more than a mere technical upgrade. GoAnywhere enables further resilience by providing High Availability and Failover through active-active clustering, enabling multiple GoAnywhere installations to work together in a distributed environment.  This way, if one node fails or is compromised, other nodes seamlessly continue processing file transfers and workflows, minimising downtime and maintaining service continuity.  The tripling of cybercrime costs is a wake-up call. By securing the channels through which data flows, organisations can close critical gaps, reduce breach likelihood, and contain the “blast radius” when incidents occur. In a landscape where every file could be a vector and every transfer a risk, MFT offers the control, visibility, and security that modern enterprises need. Standing By to Help At Generic Systems Australia , we’re Australia and New Zealand’s experts in helping business take advantage of GoAnywhere’s many capabilities. We’ve assisted dozens of organisations to make their file transfers resilient, secure and reliable — boosting their efficiency in the process. If you’d like to discuss how we can deliver these advantages to your organisation, please feel welcome to get in touch with me. I’m always happy to have an obligation-free chat and explain how easily we can transition you from your current approach to a new world of cyber security and productivity. At Generic Systems Australia, we’re your local experts in data transfer. Previous Next

< News Ransomware payments no guarantee 3 Oct 2025 Paying a ransomware demand is no guarantee that your precious business data will be restored. Research by Veeam found that fewer and fewer companies are actually getting their data back after a ransomware attack. For them, paying the ransom merely makes the full cost of business recovery even greater. Veeam found that only about a third of businesses who paid up recovered their data, down from around half in the prior year. The number of organisations who were able to recover their data without paying up in the same time period was just under a third. Ransomware accounts for 11% of cyber attacks reported to the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD). As of 30 May this year, Australian businesses with an annual turnover of more than $3M must report any ransomware or cyber extortion payments to the government within 72 hours of making the payment or becoming aware of it. At Generic Systems Australia we have decades of experience helping local businesses keep cyber thieves at bay through deployment of the world’s best MFT, GoAnywhere . If you’d like a no-cost, no-obligation discussion about how we could help you, please feel welcome to get in touch with me. Previous Next

< News Automate Your Company Compliance with MFT 30 July 2026 Compliance is a “necessary evil” for modern organisations. It consumes time, staff and money. But it’s a necessary cost of doing business and being a responsible corporate citizen. Whether you’re moving payroll files, customer data, medical records, or partner integrations, every transfer carries regulatory obligations. If you’re still relying on outdated scripts and manual processes to move those files around, compliance requirements are an additional time and cost sink, draining your team’s productivity and company’s bottom line. Manual file‑transfer processes simply weren’t built for today’s security, privacy and audit requirements. Managed File Transfer (MFT) changes the game by automating compliance end‑to‑end. They remove human error, enforce policy, and provide proof that every transfer meets regulatory standards. And among the MFT options, GoAnywhere stands out as the most complete, mature, and automation‑driven solution available. How MFT Automates Compliance 1. Policy enforcement without human intervention MFT platforms apply security controls automatically - encryption, authentication, key rotation, protocol restrictions, password policies, retention rules. Instead of relying on staff to “remember the right steps”, compliance becomes a built‑in system behaviour. 2. Automated audit trails and reporting Every action is logged: who sent what, when, to whom, via which protocol, with which encryption, and whether it succeeded or failed. These logs are immutable, centralised, and exportable for auditors. 3. Workflow automation that removes risky manual handling Sensitive data is no longer downloaded, renamed, copied, emailed, or manually uploaded. MFT workflows move data securely between systems, cloud services, and partners without human touchpoints. 4. Built ‑ in controls for regulated industries MFT enforces compliance with industry and corporate standards, including Australian Privacy Principles , by ensuring secure transport, access control, and full traceability. 5. Automated exception handling Failures, delays, or anomalies trigger alerts, retries, escalations, or alternative workflows, ensuring compliance isn’t broken by a single failed transfer. The Benefits of Automating Compliance Automation eliminates the most common compliance failures: human error, inconsistent processes, insecure ad‑hoc transfers, and undocumented activity. It incurs lower operational costs, by replacing slow, labour‑intensive, and error‑prone manual file handling. And, as data volumes grow, automation ensures compliance remains consistent and repeatable. Auditors love MFT because everything is logged, centralised, and exportable. What used to take days takes minutes. There’s also a payoff in terms of partner trust. When they know your transfers are encrypted, authenticated, monitored and auditable, confidence increases - especially in finance, government, and healthcare. The Best MFT GoAnywhere isn’t just another MFT tool - it’s a platform built from the ground up for secure, automated, compliant file movement. Five aspects set it apart. 1. A unified, end ‑ to ‑ end automation engine GoAnywhere’s workflow automation is the most mature in the industry. It handles multi‑step, multi‑system, multi‑protocol workflows with triggers, schedulers, conditional logic, and integrations. 2. Enterprise ‑ grade security baked into every layer GoAnywhere enforces encryption (PGP, AES, TLS), secure protocols (SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS, AS2/3/4), role‑based access, key management, password vaulting, and hardened gateways. Compliance is built-in to its very foundation. 3. Best ‑ in ‑ class auditing and governance Centralised logs, dashboards, reporting packs, and audit exports make compliance demonstrable. Regulators and auditors get exactly what they need, instantly. 4. Broadest integration ecosystem Legacy servers, cloud APIs, SaaS platforms, databases, ERP systems, finicky partner protocols - GoAnywhere connects them all. This universality is critical for compliance because gaps between systems are where risk lives. 5. Proven reliability across regulated industries Banks, insurers, government agencies, hospitals, logistics providers, and critical infrastructure operators rely on GoAnywhere because it delivers consistent, compliant transfers at scale. Local Experts at the Ready Compliance isn’t achieved through documentation; it’s achieved through automation. If your organisation would benefit from secure, auditable, policy‑driven automation for every file transfer, then GoAnywhere MFT is the strongest, most complete, and most trusted platform to deliver it – and Generic Systems Australia are your most experienced local experts to deploy and configure it for you. If we can help – perhaps with a demonstration or proof of concept – let us know. Previous Next

< News GenAI Cyber Attacks on the Rise: Gartner 30 Sept 2025 Attacks using Generative AI (“GenAI”) for phishing, deepfakes and social engineering have become mainstream, and attacks on GenAI application infrastructure and prompt-based manipulations are emerging. These are among the troubling findings of a recent survey of cyber security leaders by Gartner, the technology insights company. GenAI is a form of artificial intelligence designed to create original content—such as text, images, music, video, or code—based on patterns it learns from existing data. Unlike traditional AI which classifies or predicts, GenAI generates new data that mimics human creativity. Rise of the Machines 62% of organisations experienced a deepfake attack involving social engineering or exploiting automated processes. These attacks included: deepfake videos used against automated face biometrics or identity verification (29%); deepfake audio clips used against automated voice biometrics (32%); social engineering with deepfake during video calls with an employee (36%); and social engineering with deepfake during audio calls with an employee (44%). In addition, 29% of cybersecurity leaders reported that their organisations had experienced an attack on enterprise GenAI infrastructure in the last 12 months. 32% said they experienced an attack on AI applications that leveraged the application prompt during the last 12 months. Gartner said that chatbot assistants are vulnerable to a variety of adversarial prompting techniques, such as attackers generating prompts to manipulate large language models (LLMs) or multimodal models into generating biased or malicious output. Emerging Threats Speaking at a Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit in London, Akif Khan, Gartner’s specialist VP in identity and access management, said: “As adoption accelerates, attacks leveraging GenAI for phishing, deepfakes and social engineering have become mainstream, while other threats — such as attacks on GenAI application infrastructure and prompt-based manipulations — are emerging and gaining traction.” While 67% of cybersecurity leaders said emerging GenAI risks demand significant changes to existing cybersecurity approaches, Gartner said a more balanced strategy is warranted. “Rather than making sweeping changes or isolated investments, organisations should strengthen core controls and implement targeted measures for each new risk category,” Khan said. MFT vs GenAI One such core control is a Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution, such as GoAnywhere MFT . It should be among an organisation’s first lines of defence. Managed File Transfer (MFT) solutions play a critical role in defending organisations against deepfake phishing and social engineering by enforcing secure, authenticated channels for data exchange. Unlike ad hoc file sharing methods that can be easily exploited, MFT platforms integrate multi-factor authentication (MFA), encryption, and access controls to ensure that only verified users can initiate or receive transfers. This mitigates the risk of attackers impersonating trusted individuals using deepfake audio or video to trick employees into sharing sensitive files. Additionally, robust MFT systems include audit trails and automated alerts which help security teams detect anomalous behaviour — such as unusual file requests or access patterns — that may indicate social engineering attempts. By centralising and securing file movement, MFT reduces the attack surface and strengthens organisational resilience against increasingly sophisticated deception tactics. Local Expertise Available At Generic Systems Australia we’re Australia’s and NZ’s experts in deploying Managed File Transfer solutions. We’ve assisted businesses of all sizes to protect their customer data and secure their file transfers, while keeping their operations running smoothly. If you’d like to discuss how we can help you, please feel welcome to contact me . I’m always happy to have an obligation-free chat and explain how simply we can help you maintain your customers’ trust. Previous Next