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< News Understanding your organisation’s obligations for protecting Personal Identifiable Information 19 Nov 2024 With the Australian Government’s imminent introduction of new cyber security legislation, it’s becoming more important than ever to understand your organisation’s legal responsibilities for protecting Personal Identifiable Information (PII). What is PII? The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) – Australia’s top government cyber security agency – says that personal data includes a broad range of information that could identify an individual. That may include an individual’s: Name Date of birth Address Medical records Racial/ethnic origin Political opinion Religious beliefs Gender Sexual orientation or practices Criminal record Payment details Email address Password License Photo Video Phone number Passport Employment information Biometrics, such as voice prints and facial recognition The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) extends that definition even further, saying it can include: Signatures Credit information IP addresses Trade union membership and associations Genetic information The OAIC cautions that sensitive information has a higher level of privacy protection than other personal information. It includes in that definition race and ethnicity, political opinions and associations, religious and philosophical beliefs, trade union membership and associations, sexual orientation and practices, criminal record, health or genetic information and some aspects of biometric information. Importantly, personal data is often greater than the sum of its parts. When seemingly innocuous data is aggregated or combined, it can be used to form a more complete picture about an individual. What Existing Laws Require The Privacy Act 1988 sets out how organisations must handle personal information, and applies to organisations with an annual turnover of more than $3 million, unless they’re a small business operator, registered political party, state or territory authority or a prescribed instrumentality of a state. Some small business operators do have obligations under the Act. These include: private sector health service providers businesses that sell or purchase personal information credit reporting bodies, contracted service providers for the Australian Government employee associations businesses accredited under the Consumer Data Right System businesses that have opted-in to the Privacy Act businesses related to a business covered by the Privacy Act businesses prescribed by the Privacy Regulation 2013 . New Obligations Incoming In October 2024, The Australian Government introduced to parliament the Cyber Security Act 2024, Australia’s first standalone cyber security legislation. If passed as expected, this new Act will impose new compliance and reporting requirements on Australian businesses. The Act is designed to address seven initiatives within the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy , including: • Mandating minimum cyber security standards for smart devices • Mandatory ransomware reporting for certain businesses to report ransom payments • A ‘limited use’ obligation for the National Cyber Security Coordinator and the Australian Signals Directorate • Establishment of a Cyber Incident Review Board. The legislation will also progress and implement reforms under the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (SOCI Act) : • Clarifying existing obligations in relation to systems holding business critical data • Simplifying information sharing across industry and Government • Introducing Government powers to direct entities to address serious deficiencies within their risk management programs • Moving regulation for the security of telecommunications into the SOCI Act . Legal firm A&O Shearman cautioned that the new Cyber Bill will introduce several new critical areas of compliance and reporting. It advised businesses to take heed of these new obligations, and ensure they put in place robust cyber security measures. • Ransomware Reporting Obligations: Entities impacted by cyber security incidents and making ransomware payments must report these payments within 72 hours. • Security Standards for Smart Devices: The Cyber Bill mandates that manufacturers and suppliers of smart devices comply with specified security standards. • Protected or Limited Use of Incident Information: The Cyber Bill includes provisions to ensure that information provided about cyber security incidents is used or disclosed only for permitted purposes, with strict limitations on using this information for civil or regulatory actions against the reporting entity. • Cyber Incident Review Board: The new Board will review certain cyber security incidents and make recommendations. It will have the authority to require documents. A&O Shearman said organisations should make sure they implement security standards in compliance with the specified security measures currently provided for in the Cyber Bill, and make sure they can comply with the ransomware reporting obligations, including the timelines foreseen in the Cyber Bill. ASD Advice on Data Security Practices ASD says that, for businesses to be confident they’re employing appropriate data security practices, they should consider implementing these measures: Create a register of personal data Limit personal data collected Delete unused personal data Consolidate personal data repositories Control access to personal data Encrypt personal data Back up personal data Log and monitor access to personal data Implement secure Bring Your Own Device practices Report a data breach involving personal data ASD warned that “businesses cannot afford to forgo investing in their security, and risk compromising the security of their customers’ personal data. The prevalence of data breaches and ransomware attacks underscores the importance of sound security practices. Businesses cannot afford to assume that they will not be targeted. Investing in security proactively can be far more cost effective than having to manage the repercussions and costs of a major data breach”. Solutions to Help Meet PII Obligations Cyber criminals succeed when organisations don’t adequately protect their data transfers and systems access. Keeping the thieves at bay requires a multi-layered strategy, including robust data transfer protection, multifactor authentication and employee training. 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. 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. GoAnywhere MFT also provides audit reports, which will help organisations meet the new reporting and compliance needs. All file transfer and administrator activity is stored and easily searchable. To help organisations report on file transfer activity and remain compliant with the new legislation, these audit logs can be automatically generated and provided as PDFs. Advanced Threat Protection adds a further layer of defence. SFT Threat Protection enables safe collaboration with external parties, preventing malware from entering an organisation, and reducing the risk of employees losing or mishandling sensitive data. Local Experts Here to Help Generic Systems Australia are your local experts in Managed File Transfer solutions. We’ve assisted dozens 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 to the latest software and approaches, and even offer you a zero-cost Proof of Concept. Previous Next

< News Local Businesses most at risk of Phishing Attacks: study 9 Apr 2024 A new study has found that employees in the Asia-Pacific region are more likely than any others worldwide to unwittingly expose their organisation to cybercrime. Fortra's newly-released study found 10% of employees worldwide will open a ‘phishing’ email sent to them. In Asia-Pacific, that number climbs to 14.9% – worse than any other region. Even more concerningly, 61% of those who fall for a bogus email will go on to disclose their password. The results of the experiment demonstrate the serious ongoing threat to local organisations posed by employees who are either uneducated on cybersecurity threats, or unmotivated to mitigate those risks. If you would like a copy of Fortra's report on the study, including helpful advice on how to address your cybersecurity challenges, please let me know – I’ll be happy to send you a copy. #mft #managedfiletransfer #sft #securefiletransfer #cybersecurity Previous Next

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< News Protect Your Business from Phishy QR Codes 29 Aug 2025 It’s National Scams Awareness Week . But it’s always a good time to guard against one of the most common forms of phishing. Research by the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) shows that scam QR Codes are becoming the attack vector of choice for cyber criminals attempting to infiltrate your organisation. Each day, millions of emails are sent containing QR Codes that link employees and consumers to bogus websites. Code for Criminals QR code attacks occur when a cyber thief creates a bogus QR code which “socially engineers” their intended victim to a phishing website. There they’re tricked into disclosing system credentials, making a false payment or purchase, or downloading malware. QR codes are an increasingly popular phishing tactic due to their crim-friendly features. Free QR Code generators make it inexpensive for cyber criminals to attempt phishing attacks. Free QR Code tend to have few resources dedicated to takedowns of legitimate service abuse and other malicious activity.   QR codes can be combined with URL shorteners to mask the true destination of URLs. Stop the Scams Our SFT 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 means your team can receive and share information securely, without impairing their productivity. Seamlessly integrating managed file transfer with advanced threat protection and adaptive data loss prevention, SFT Threat Protection 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. It can also automatically detect and –– if you configure it to do so –– prevent employees from sharing sensitive information. Local Help on Hand Generic Systems Australia has decades of experience helping Australian and New Zealand organisations protect themselves against phishing and other cyber attacks by leveraging the power of the world’s leading MFT solution. Our Migration Service makes the transition even easier for organisations who prefer to use their resources building their businesses rather than improving their IT plumbing. 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. At Generic Systems Australia, we’re your local experts in Secure Managed File Transfer. Previous Next

< Case Studies Keeping Ahead of Competition in Commercial Real Estate Decades of experience helping Asia-Pacific customers have established Generic Systems Australia as our region’s local experts in secure managed file transfer. In this case study, we share the many ways in which an international commercial real estate firm leverages the flexibility of GoAnywhere MFT . One commercial real estate company has a mission to redefine their industry with long-term investments in people and technology that deliver actionable insights and create the best customer experience. They’ve also made it their mission to ensure any data they’re transferring is transferred securely. This corporation is an industry-leading commercial real estate company that offers a robust suite of services to its multifamily and commercial property clients. They offer services in commercial real estate investment sales, mortgage banking, and mortgage servicing. They now operate worldwide, have over 1,000 employees, and have closed billions of dollars in production volume. GoAnywhere MFT plays a key role in their success. Retiring REST A Senior Engineer provided some insight into the company’s three-year usage of GoAnywhere. Originally, when they needed to wire SFTP files to the bank, they used a homegrown tool, built internally and solely for the purpose of SFTP transfers to wire payments. However, because processes were taking too much time, they decided to look elsewhere for a better solution. What they found exceeded their original expectations. Prior to implementing GoAnywhere MFT, the process of keeping data consistent was a challenge. Stated the Senior Engineer: “Before GoAnywhere, we used the same REST call and put data in the SQL Server, but I was having a hard time with Windows vs. AWS and Azure and getting the same data repeatedly.” With GoAnywhere, Windows can grab data easily and consistently. Daily Deliveries Once the Senior Engineer learned the product, which didn’t take long, they were an expert in GoAnywhere. Now, more than 1,715 jobs are run each day. Most of the file transfers are B2B, moving from the company to a financial institution of some sort. “We wanted something that could go to a database seamlessly. We must get files to the bank in a very timely matter. Every wire file goes to the Federal Reserve and must get a Federal Reserve number before it can be funded to the bank. That all takes time. You don’t want to be at a standstill at 5:00 pm on a Friday trying to figure out why you can’t get a wire file to a bank! They’re funding loans that are $40 million!” Now the Senior Engineer can set up new transfers in just two minutes once they have all the information and can execute transfers in 10 seconds. If it clears, transfers start and stop in about one second! “Currently, we have 63 projects running in the GoAnywhere scheduler. We started with 15 and it has grown from there.” Mortgage Rate Magic Aside from the daily deliveries, the company also utilises GoAnywhere to stay one step ahead of their competition and offering the best mortgage rates possible. Mortgage rates update every minute. Because the company is committed to offering the best interest rate in the steep pool of competition, they avoid offering one single rate per day, as some of their competitors do. It’s especially important for them to pull the data in real time because even a couple of points in an interest rate change can make a big difference. GoAnywhere MFT helps the company’s competitive edge thrive and delivers an advantage by allowing real-time interest rate comparison. “We use MFT to get the latest mortgage rates available,” the Senior Engineer said. “We have several applications that use these rates. Each time you pull the rates, it costs money. Instead of having each application pull rates, we have MFT make a REST call to grab the rates and push them into a SQL Server, for all of our on-premises dotnet applications to use.” All applications that need the updated rates call the SQL Server to get the rates in real time. From there on, the rates are formatted into a JSON file and sent to AWS, where the rest of their cloud-based apps can use them. All applications have the same data source that is updated at the same time; therefore, they only need one outbound call to grab the rates. All the apps in the AWS environment can also get the necessary rates at the exact same time. It doesn’t matter which application connects; it should get the same rate. Exceeding Expectations Among transferring files securely, upgrades and updates for GoAnywhere MFT have served as an additional, yet unexpected benefit for the company. They have been easy to complete, and the Senior Engineer was able to successfully conduct their company’s annual disaster recovery (DR) test without fail. Overall, the Senior organization is very satisfied with their experience using GoAnywhere MFT. At this commercial real estate company, GoAnywhere’s flexibility is exploited for a great many time-saving projects, allowing valuable staff and system time to be directed to other areas. Although the company is typically using GoAnywhere MFT to transfer daily B2B files to financial institutions and provide competitive mortgage rates to their clients, their Senior Engineer said they often find new ways to leverage the product. “In meetings when someone has an idea, or has been doing something manually repeatedly, I know that GoAnywhere can take care of it and do what’s being requested. I always say, ‘We can do that! They can do this!’” Previous Next

< News Don’t Let Your Data Be Lost in Cyber Space 2 Sept 2025 In this digital age, our businesses depend on the seamless movement of files to operate efficiently. From financial reports and customer data to product designs and legal documents, files are the lifeblood of a modern organisation. However, despite sophisticated networks and cloud-based tools, files still vanish into cyberspace, leading to business disruption, unhappy customers and confused suppliers. The reasons files go missing are often quite mundane. Perhaps they were intercepted, having been sent via unsecured email. Perhaps their transfer failed silently and unknown, due to a network glitch. Maybe an employee uploaded the document to the wrong folder, or worse, to the wrong server. Legacy systems, manual processes, and ad hoc workarounds compound the problem. Without proper oversight, files can be lost, duplicated, corrupted, or exposed—leading to compliance violations, reputational damage, and costly delays. Avoid Data Danger, Will Robinson! This is where Managed File Transfer (MFT) technology steps in—not as a patchwork fix, but as a strategic upgrade. MFT provides a secure, automated framework for transferring files across internal systems, external partners, and cloud environments. It replaces risky methods like FTP, email attachments, and consumer-grade sharing apps with encrypted, policy-driven workflows. Security and Reliability MFT platforms use robust encryption protocols (like SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS) to protect data in transit. Authentication mechanisms ensure only authorised users can initiate or receive transfers. Files are tracked from origin to destination, with detailed logs and alerts for failures or anomalies. This means no more blind spots—every movement is visible, verifiable, and recoverable. Compliance and Control For industries bound by regulations (finance, healthcare, government), MFT offers built-in compliance features. Audit trails, role-based access, and data retention policies help meet demanding standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001. Administrators can monitor activity in real time, enforce file naming conventions, and prevent unauthorised access or data leakage. Automation and Integration Beyond security, MFT streamlines operations. It integrates with ERP systems, cloud storage, and APIs to automate recurring transfers—like nightly batch jobs or supplier updates. This reduces human error and frees up IT teams to focus on higher-value tasks. Some platforms even support conditional logic, retry mechanisms, and load balancing to ensure mission-critical transfers never fail silently. Scalability and Visibility As organisations grow, so does the complexity of their data flows. MFT scales effortlessly, handling thousands of transfers per day across geographies and departments. Dashboards provide a centralised view of all activity, making it easy to spot bottlenecks, troubleshoot issues, and optimise performance. In short, Managed File Transfer transforms chaotic, error-prone file sharing into a disciplined, auditable process. It’s not just a tool—it’s a safeguard against digital entropy. For organisations juggling sensitive data across borders and platforms, MFT ensures that files don’t just travel—they arrive, intact and accounted for. From “Lost in Space” to “Found, Locally” 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