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< News Rate Rise Should Spur Rethink 13 Nov 2023 Following the Reserve Bank’s decision to further hike interest rates, it’s timely for business leaders to explore how they can minimise any negative impacts on their companies. Rowan Tracey, Partner at HLB Mann Judd , Australian businesses would need to “find efficiencies and cut operating costs”. “The Reserve Bank’s decision … will impact business margins, particularly small to medium businesses with high debt and low capital. The natural reflex for businesses is to raise prices to even out the balance sheet, which would be fine in a more buoyant economy. (But) rising fuel prices and cost of living already has many scrambling to find ways of cutting costs, including their current expenditure.” Rowan offers these alternative suggestions to businesses wanting to maintain margins without imposing price hikes: 1. Improve Productivity & Efficiency: Review processes and output and look at ways to improve or streamline your operations, such as automation of processes including business software. 2. Strategically Cut Costs: Review your current service providers and contracts and compare to the current market. 3. Revisit Your Banking & Financial Products: Look beyond the short-term and make sure the interest rate on your business loans is competitive. 4. Develop a Pricing Strategy : Look at ways to leverage or bundle existing goods and services. 5. Reconsider Your Supply Chain : Consider reducing risks by finding a domestic supplier to slash the costs of freight and storage. 6. Review Workforce Arrangements: Consider offering flexible work arrangements, nine-day fortnights, and training and development opportunities - particularly those subsidised by government. One way to address Item #1 (“Improve Productivity and Efficiency”) is to reconsider how your business transfers data. Moving data – between employees, with customers, and with your supply chain partners – is now a “core process” for every modern business. That makes it a target for improving efficiency and productivity. A Managed File Transfer solution, such as GoAnywhere MFT, is more cost-effective and efficient than having your staff waste time on old-fashioned and risky manual approaches. In fact, a study by Aberdeen Group found that businesses which invested a little in a professional Managed File Transfer solution had a median return of almost 500 times their investment! Generic Systems Australia are your local experts in file transfer technologies. Contact me if you’d like an obligation-free discussion , no cost trial, or Proof of Concept showing how GoAnywhere could boost your business’s productivity. Previous Next

< News Cyber Security and The Illusion of Invisibility 18 Aug 2025 When it comes to cyber theft, the bigger the firm, the bigger the headline. Optus, Medibank, Qantas, Latitude Financial, and the ANU… all of these high-profile Australian organisations have endured unwelcome time in the spotlight after mishandling their customers’ data. Widespread public familiarity with their brands, as well as their large customer bases, made them more prone to negative media attention when their cyber security lapsed. Smaller businesses – equally big targets The media’s focus on the cyber travails of large organisation can inadvertently create a false sense of security among medium and smaller organisations. That is, because there’s barely any media coverage of cyber theft from less well-known organisations, medium and small companies can be lulled into dangerous complacency about just how vulnerable and targeted they are. The reality is that medium and smaller organisations are prime targets for hackers. Illusion of Invisibility Because they’re not in the headlines, many medium and smaller businesses assume they’re “flying under the radar” as targets for cyber criminals. However, that’s exactly what makes them appealing targets. Hackers reason that medium and smaller firms likely lack the hardened defences of larger organisations – while still harbouring significant and attractive amounts of sensitive customer data. Stats tell Story Statistics from the most recent Annual Cyber Threat Report from the Australian Signal Directorate (ASD) add further perspective to the comparative threat. Last year, more medium-sized businesses reported “Extensive Compromise” cyber attacks than large businesses. The same was true in the next lower category of cyber severity, “Isolated Compromise”. Tellingly, large organisations reported more than three times the rate of success in repelling low-level malicious attacks vs medium-sized organisations. A further alarming insight is that the average financial loss incurred by medium-sized organisations due to cybercrime was almost identical to the average financial loss for large organisations. Smaller Size, Larger Vulnerability The 2024 Sophos Threat Report found that the sophistication of cyberthreats faced by small to medium organisations is often on par with those used to attack large enterprises. In forums on the dark web where cyber criminals trade tips, it’s been said that the spoils from breaching a larger number of medium-sized organisations more than offsets the returns from less frequently successful attacks on large organisations. Sophos found that organisations with fewer than 500 employees were more vulnerable to cyber criminals. Underinvestment in cybersecurity, generally smaller information technology budgets and sometimes, less-experienced IT staff or outsourced providers, all contributed to this heightened vulnerability. Sophisticated Threat Landscape The cybercriminal ecosystem has evolved rapidly to become ruthlessly efficient. Mirroring the legitimate economy, it now features specialised roles and skillsets, intermediaries and brokers, and sophisticated black market networks to facilitate transactions. Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) groups lease their code to affiliates, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes exploit social engineering techniques to bypass technical protections. Infostealers quietly exfiltrate login data, payment card info, and browser-stored credentials before victims even realise that anything’s awry. Stepping Up Safeguards Businesses need to similarly evolve their safeguards. Spam filters and firewalls are no longer enough. The key to successfully defending against encroaching cyber threats is to use a multi-layered strategy which includes robust data transfer protection, phishing campaign detection, prevention of credential harvesting, employee training, and mitigation against BEC attack by analysing behavioural anomalies and sender authenticity in real time. A Secure Managed File Transfer solution such as the class-leading GoAnywhere MFT addresses the many risks of ad hoc techniques through a holistic approach to security, including: Automatic authentication, encryption and decryption User access controls Auditing and Reporting Continuous updates on the evolving threat landscape, and Industry standards compliance. A further defensive layer - our Advanced Threat Protection Bundle - can mask, remove, or permit Personally Identifiable Information to be moved within your organisation and beyond, via a Secure ICAP Gateway. Invisibility Isn’t Security Just because smaller firms aren’t in the headlines, don’t assume they’re not falling prey to cybercrime. The seductive illusion of “flying under the radar” is exactly what makes smaller organisations appealing targets. And, because they often lack the hardened defences of larger organisation - while still handling sensitive data - they’re more vulnerable to the threats. Here to Help At Generic Systems Australia , we’re Australia and New Zealand’s local experts in helping businesses add the protective layers of Managed File Transfer and Adanced Threat Protection to their cyber defences. If you’d like to discuss how we can help your organisation, please feel welcome to contact me . I’m always happy to have an obligation-free chat and explain how easily we can step up your cyber security. At Generic Systems Australia, we’re your local experts in Managed File Transfer. Previous Next

< News Employee Error Lets Hackers Clean Up at Clorox 25 July 2025 The Clorox Company’s $574M lawsuit against IT services provider Cognizant Technology Solutions is a stark reminder of the cyber threat posed by unwitting or uncaring employees. Clorox alleges that help desk agents managed by Cognizant provided hackers with access to Clorox’s IT network in August 2023. They say that Cognizant agents repeatedly reset passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA) tokens for hackers posing as Clorox employees without asking a single security question. One partial call transcript filed with the court shows a Cognizant agent volunteering “Let me provide the password to you” after a hacker said he couldn’t log in. Hackers used the credentials provided to paralyse manufacturing lines, which led to product shortages costing Clorox hundreds of millions in lost sales. Clorox says it had provided Cognizant with strict credential-reset protocols such as verifying a manager’s name and sending confirmation emails, but that these protocols weren’t followed. Human Error Common Clorox’s unfortunate experience is consistent with studies which have found human error a leading cause of most cyber security incursions. In a 2024 experiment by Fortra, 14.9% of employees across the Asia-Pacific region succumbed to hackers’ attempts to have them provide network access. 60% of the employees who clicked on that phishing link went on to further expose their organisation by sharing their password. Guarding Against Employee Error Employee education is a great start to protecting your organisation. But as Clorox’s experience shows, it’s not enough. Technical safeguards are needed, too. Generic Systems Australia’s Advanced Threat Protection Bundle enables your organisation’s email system to automatically detect and prevent phishing links and other malware from entering your organisation. Combining the layered strengths of GoAnywhere MFT and Clearswift, it enables your employees to receive and share information securely without impairing their productivity. How It Works Our Advanced Threat Protection Bundle seamlessly integrates managed file transfer with advanced threat protection and adaptive data loss prevention to keep your sensitive data secure. It not only prevents malware from entering your organisation, but it also prevents employees from losing or mishandling data. For example, if an employee knowingly (or unknowingly) attempts to share any files containing malware, those files are sanitised by having the malicious elements automatically removed. The Advanced Threat Protection Bundle can also automatically detect and –– if you configure it to do so –– prevent employees from sharing sensitive information. Local Support If you’d like to see first-hand how the Advanced Threat Protection Bundle can help keep your organisation’s data safe, please feel welcome to get in touch with me. My technical team at Generic Systems Australia are local experts in the field. Previous Next

< News Australian Govt’s “Horizon 2” Comes Into View 5 Aug 2025 The Australian Government has invited input on the key policy and program outcomes the nation needs to achieve under the 2023 – 2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy. Building on the momentum of the recently introduced Cyber Security Act 2024 , Minister for Cyber Security, Tony Burke MP, has released the Horizon 2 Policy Discussion Paper. It seeks feedback and input on key policies designed to enable Australia to: · Embed cyber messaging, cyber standards, capability and efforts. · Empower Australian businesses and citizens to protect themselves and become more resilient to cyber incidents. · Enhance cyber frameworks, workforce, and business ecosystem to drive further cyber security uplift. Consultation on the Discussion Paper is open to all levels of government, industry, educational institutions, community groups, and the Australian public. Submissions to can be made through the Department’s consultation webpage until 29 August 2025. Further industry co-design and Town Halls will also be held during the consultation process. Releasing the Discussion Paper, the Minister said: “We have made historic progress on cyber security but there is always more to do when confronting this evolving threat. Our government believes that all Australians have the right to be safe and feel safe, and cyber security is a critical part of that effort. “We’ve laid excellent foundations with Horizon 1 of the strategy and the passage of the Cyber Security Act – Horizon 2 will continue our progress towards our rightful place as a world leader on cyber security.” Submissions can be made through the Department’s consultation webpage until 29 August 2025. Previous Next

< News Data Breach Costs Escalate in 2024 14 Aug 2024 $4.26M! That’s the average cost of a data breach in Australia in 2024, according to new research released by IBM. The figure – a record high – represents a whopping 27% increase since 2020. However, while the average cost of a data breach continues to escalate, the types of cyber breaches experienced by Australian organisations continue to be the usual suspects. Under Attack IBM’s research found that Phishing continues to be the most common type of attack vector , with 22% of breaches starting this way. Stolen or compromised credentials were the second most common, accounting for 17% of breaches. Malicious insiders were responsible for the most costly attacks, at 8% of incidents. It took Australian companies on average 266 days to identify/contain cyber incidents. This lengthy period contributed to high detection and escalation costs , which remain the most expensive aspect of a breach, with post-breach response and lost business the second most costly. Almost a third of data breaches involved data stored across multiple environments : public cloud, private cloud, and on-premises systems. Breaches across multiple environments took 13% longer to identify and contain. Organisations with too few cybersecurity staff paid the heaviest price, with an average cost per breach $2.7M higher than organisations with less exposure. However, involving law enforcement saved some ransomware victims as much as $1.5M in costs. Automated Defences Help Companies which didn’t use security AI and automation experienced significantly higher breach costs ($5.21M) than those which did, and it also took them an additional 99 days to identify and contain breaches. The research found that 65% of surveyed Australian organisations leveraged these technologies. However, attackers too are exploiting new opportunities presented by AI. For example, increasingly convincing deepfakes are enabling ever more effective social engineering attacks. Avoiding Costly Cyber Breaches To protect an organisation’s valuable data, it must be protected when it’s stored and while it’s “in motion”. As the research found, automation can ensure this takes place with the entirety of an organisation’s data transfers. 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. Advanced Threat Protection and Adaptive Loss Prevention add a further layer of defence. SFT Threat Protection enables safe collaboration with external parties, preventing malware from entering your organisation, and reducing opportunities for employees to lose or mishandle sensitive data. Local Expertise Ready to Help Generic Systems Australia are your local experts in Managed File Transfer and Advanced Threat Protection. 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. Previous Next

< News Summer Software Sales 10 Dec 2024 It's December, and the thoughts of many in business will no doubt be turning to closing out the year ahead of well-deserved holidays. But did you know this can also be a great time to negotiate a sweet summer deal on enterprise software…? Much of the world's enterprise software is sold by US-based companies, who follow a calendar accounting year. December is the final month for them to achieve their full-year sales targets, stretch bonuses, etc. So: strike while the iron - and season - is hot! Use your negotiating advantage to squeeze a special deal on that new software solution you've been eyeing. Of course, if that solution happens to be GoAnywhere MFT - the world's leading Managed File Transfer solution - then reach out to me, and we can apply the summer squeeze together! 😉 #MFT #SFTP #managedfiletransfer #goanywhere #enterprisesolution Previous Next

< News How to Protect Your Customers’ Personal Identifiable Information 8 Nov 2024 Protecting customers’ Personal Identifiable Information (PII) has fast become a critical duty of care for every organisation. What is PII, and why is it valuable? PII includes information such as Tax File Numbers, Medicare numbers and other health records, credit card details, student addresses and more. Cybercriminals attempt to access PII for financial gain, either directly – by selling it to data brokers on the dark web – or indirectly, by identity theft. Stolen PII can be used by hackers to open bogus credit card and bank accounts, and to socially engineer attacks using methods such as phishing and ransomware. Organisations need to zealously protect the PII provided to them by customers – not only for the sake of maintaining trust, but also to guard against heavy sanctions for non-compliance by regulators such as ASIC and the ACCC. And those compliance requirements are ramping up. Just last month, Australia’s federal government introduced legislation to parliament which will revolutionise Australia’s cyber security preparedness by imposing new protection standards and reporting requirements on local businesses. International Obligations However, compliance requirements for the protection of PII don’t stop at our national borders. For example, businesses with customers in Europe need to comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. Local businesses trading in the US need to comply with America’s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Federal Information Security Management Act, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, Gramm-Leach Bliley Act and California Consumer Privacy Act. Rising Risks and Impacts Recent statistics demonstrate the growing risk and significant impact of PII data breaches. Verizon’s Data Breach Investigation Report for 2024 shows that some 60% of data breaches involve some form of personal information. And IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report revealed the global average cost of a data breach now exceeds A$7 million. Protecting PII Stepping up to the needs of PII guardianship requires both technology solutions and sound business practices. Layered defences, with integrated solutions that address encryption, threat protection, and data loss prevention, enable safe collaboration without risking malware, mishandled data, breaches and non-compliance. Given most breaches involve a human element, technology solutions need to be automated and easy for employees to use. Software needs to be able to manage: How access to data is granted; How access is authenticated; How access is tracked and controlled; and How access be speedily revoked, when needed. Layered Protection A standalone managed file transfer (MFT) solution – such as GoAnywhere MFT - is a great first layer of defence. It provides security for files at rest and in-transit. However, integrating Threat Protection as an additional layer enables you to take appropriate action when there’s PII in the data moving in and out of your organisation. Based on rules you predefine, our Advanced Threat Protection Bundle can mask, remove, or permit PII to be moved within your organisation and beyond, via a Secure ICAP Gateway. Medical Case Study A medical enterprise needed to transfer attachments between employees and trading partners containing detailed billing information. They had long used a managed file transfer solution to exchange patient records within and outside the organisation. However, they realised they needed to further safeguard patients’ PII via deep content inspection. The organisation integrated GoAnywhere MFT with Secure ICAP Gateway, adding anti-virus protection as well as structural “sanitisation” of files being transferred. Their combined MFT/Advanced Threat Protection now works to: Inspect for malware and viruses; Intercept content based on threat protection and data loss prevention requirements; Run rule sets such as renaming, script removal, keyword searches to control if content is allowed in or is blocked; and Sanitise PII content to permit ongoing transfer (or block it, if content cannot be adequately sanitised). Thanks to layered protection, the organisation can now exchange patient records free from viruses and malware, while only disclosing a use-appropriate level of PII. Controlling PII Disclosure Adding granular rules-based controls to data handling is the “killer feature” of Advanced Threat Protection. For example: You can permit some specified individuals to transmit PII, but not everyone. You can apply role-based access to PII. You can audit who is sending what information. GoAnywhere MFT’s encryption can be enhanced by limiting who can transfer PII data and what that data contains. The automatic detection and sanitisation of files removes some of the human factor risks so that employees can focus on their work instead of fussing with manual interventions. Augmenting technical solutions with employee training further reduces human factor risks. Here to Help Generic Systems Australia are the Asia-Pacific region’s experts in deploying Managed File Transfer and Advanced Threat Protection. We’ve assisted dozens of organisations to protect their PII and secure their file transfers, while keeping their businesses 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 transition you from outdated protocols and approaches. I can even arrange a simple, zero-cost Proof of Concept. Previous Next

< News What to Look for in a Managed File Transfer Solution 3 Mar 2025 Contributing to independent enterprise buying intelligence platform Peerspot , tech blogger Janet Staver has shared very useful advice on what to look for in a Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution. “If file transfers are an integral part of your business, it is crucial to implement an MFT solution,” she said. But how to choose which of the many MFT's on offer are best for your organisation...? Janet recommended you use the following key evaluation criteria: Security Ease of Use Data Analytics Authorisation and Validation Secure file governance Encryption and Decryption Regular Updates Automation Antivirus Visibility Budget-Friendly Customisation Security Highlighted by Janet as the “first and foremost” consideration – Janet observed that “not all secure MFTs are created equal.” In addition to assessing MFT solutions’ integrated security protocols, she advised intending purchasers to look for virus scans and the ability to quarantine to isolate malware. “MFTs with strong authorisation and validation are preferable as they can help with compliance requirements,” she said. Ease of Use For Janet’s second key consideration, she recommended businesses choose an MFT solution which improves productivity without requiring you to write scripts for data transfer. Data Analytics A useful tool to “gather data about your data”, Janet noted that data analytics were also useful for meeting compliance standards and optimising file management. Similarly, the best MFT solutions provide a high-level view of your system, including a CISO dashboard and SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) enabling reports on total access, locations, transfers, and threats. “A good MFT will include secure file storage and governance tools that don’t compromise security,” Janet said. “Flow authoring access controls (to work with advanced workflows), granular file access roles and user policies, and regular logging are some of the basic features you should look for.” Advanced Workflows, Regular Updates Janet noted that some MFTs offer automation capabilities, including agents to complete complex tasks at scale. Regular updates are also important to keep a company’s data safe from hackers, Janet said. (Her full advice can be read here . ) Independent Analysis To get you started comparing MFTs, you might want to consult the findings of respected independent tech analysts Info-Tech. They recently performed a comprehensive analysis of MFT solutions, using data sourced from real end users. Their recommendation…? GoAnywhere MFT . Besides achieving the highest overall score in the MFT category, GoAnywhere also ranked highest for Vendor Capability Satisfaction, including the key dimensions of: “Business Value Created” “Breadth of Features” “Quality of Features” “Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement” “Useability and Intuitiveness” “Vendor Support” “Ease of Data Integration” “Ease of Customisation” “Availability and Quality of Training”, and “Ease of Implementation” Tap Australia’s and NZ’s MFT Experts No-one better understands local MFT needs and best practices than Generic Systems Australia. Our local team has decades of experience helping businesses implement the world’s leading MFT solution. Our Migration Service makes the transition even easier for busy businesses who’d rather spend their time focusing on their customers than their IT systems. 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 . At Generic Systems Australia , we’re your local experts in MFT. Previous Next

< News Migration Services make upgrading easy 17 Mar 2024 Are you attracted to the security and efficiency of a Managed File Transfer solution… but a little worried about the potential disruption of installing one? You needn’t be! Our technical experts at Generic Systems Australia have decades of experience migrating clients from handwritten scripts, outdated integration packages and other legacy software - and everything in between. So it’s no surprise that many of our clients prefer to leave the changeover to us and our Migration Services. Our technical experts can quickly and efficiently install GoAnywhere MFT – the world’s leading file transfer solution – and then configure it to replace all your existing scripts, integration packages and other file transfer middleware. You and your team can keep on doing what you do best – free of distractions – while we do what we do best. Once you have GoAnywhere MFT installed, you may be pleasantly surprised at just how simple it is to set up further automated file transfers into the future. GoAnywhere features an easy-to-understand drag-and-drop interface to create automatic file translation and transfer workflows. In fact, configuring workflows is so easy that most users quickly learn to do it themselves, freeing up your technical staff to focus on other important work. If you’d like to discuss how your organisation’s file transfers can be made more efficient and secure, please feel free to contact our Business Manager , Bradley Copson (mail to: bradley@gensys.com.au ). He’s 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. Generic Systems Australia Your Local Experts in Secure Managed File TransferMore Resources at: www.gensys.com.au (Covering Post by Bradley a few days later) Talking to clients, I sometimes sense they’re worried about the perceived complexity of moving from their existing ad-hoc file transfers to a modern, secure and efficient Managed File Transfer solution. I reassure them that they needn’t be concerned. Our technical experts at Generic Systems Australia have decades of experience migrating clients from handwritten scripts, outdated integration packages and other legacy software - and everything in between. This article explains the benefits and advantages of using our Migration Services . #MFT #managedfiletransfer #securefiletransfer #sft #cybersecurity #datatransfer Previous Next

< News "Flip the Scripts" ... and Transfer Files Efficiently 20 Oct 2023 Replace Risky File Transfer Scripts with GoAnywhere MFT Once upon a time, writing scripts to partially-automate the transferring of files was “good enough”. However, technology has moved on. With cybersecurity threats multiplying and businesses focused on improving productivity, script-based file transfers just aren’t cutting it anymore. Why Replace File Transfer Scripts? Scripts aren’t secure . For example, user credentials aren’t encrypted, putting your entire system at risk. Scripts lack advanced features . For example, automating file transfers with FTP requires adding a second solution, a time-consuming and complex prospect. It’s also difficult to build in re-try features, and lock down how users interact with sensitive data. Scripts don’t play well with new tech . For example, modern cloud-based computing environments require file transfers to be integrated with cloud-based solutions, and platforms such as Azure and AWS. Scripts can be time consuming . Developing, maintaining, and troubleshooting scripts takes time, distracting valuable support staff from more important things. Worse, if they’re not available when a script fails, it bottlenecks your workflow. Scripts don’t have logging built in . All logging needs to be built into your scripts. Accessing those logs can be time consuming and difficult, requiring an effective filter and search tools. The Benefits of Replacing Homegrown Scripts As well as increasing the security of your file transfers, moving away from scripts provides your organisation with many other advantages: Centralise workflow . Instead of using multiple different tools, programs, and scripts to encrypt, send, and automate your file transfers, GoAnywhere MFT enables all of these from a single interface. That significantly streamlines day-to-day operations and reduces wasted tool maintenance time. Automate . No matter the volume of files to be transferred across your business and supply chain, GoAnywhere enables your team to spend time focusing on other things. Comply with regulations . By logging file transfers and access across your organisation, GoAnywhere MFT proves your compliance with legal requirements, such as data privacy and encryption. Those logs are also very handy if you’re conducting an audit, or forensics on an internal security breach. The Far Better Alternative GoAnywhere is the industry’s leading Managed File Transfer solution. It ensures data is transferred securely - both internally and externally – and accelerates your team’s productivity. If you’d like to learn more about how GoAnywhere MFT could add to your organisation’s bottom line, please feel free to contact me ( bradley@gensys.com.au ), or read more at the Generic Systems Australia website . Bradley Copson, Business Manager, Generic Systems Australia Previous Next