top of page

Search Results

195 results found with an empty search

  • The Value of 3rd-Party Reviews | GSA

    < 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

  • How MFT Helps Thwart AI Security Threats | GSA

    < 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

  • Record Quarter for Local Ransomware Attacks | GSA

    < News Record Quarter for Local Ransomware Attacks 13 May 2025 The first quarter of 2025 was the worst ever for ransomware attacks, with the highest-ever number of organisations named on data-leak sites. The Q1/25 surge was driven by major activity spikes from ransomware groups Cl0p, Medusa, and FunkSec. · Cl0p, who accounted for more than third of all successful attacks, exploited zero-day vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-50623 and CVE-2024-55956) in Cleo managed file transfer (MFT) solutions, fuelling a 23% increase in overall ransomware activity between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025. · Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group Medusa capitalised on the void left by disrupted ransomware gangs in late 2024, increasingly targeting critical infrastructure. · FunkSec utilised AI to develop malware which infiltrated 152 named victims this quarter. Australian Orgs Under Attack Australia ranked sixth among the most targeted nations for ransomware attacks in February. We were the 11th most affected country for data breaches last year, with 47 million Australian accounts exposed - an astonishing average of one breach per second . Since 2004, Australia has experienced 192.5 million breached accounts, the highest number in the Oceania region. More than 49 million unique Australian email addresses have been exposed, often alongside sensitive information such as passwords and contact details. Changed Ransomware Tactics According to Bitdefender, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting newly discovered vulnerabilities in internet-facing devices, rather than focusing on specific industries or businesses. Cybercriminals reportedly scan for new software vulnerabilities within hours of them being publicly disclosed. After accessing a targeted system, they then take time to manually infiltrate deeper, often delaying ransomware deployment by weeks or months. Protecting Your Organisation Holistic protection of your organisation’s valuable data 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. Benign Rule Adding granular rules-based controls to data handling is the killer feature of Advanced Threat Protection. For example, it enables you to: permit some specified individuals to transmit various categories of data, but not everyone; apply role-based access to your data; and audit who is sending what information. GoAnywhere’s encryption can be enhanced by limiting who can transfer 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. Local Help at the Ready At Generic Systems Australia , we 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 data and systems, while boosting their operational efficiency. 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 your current approach. At Generic Systems Australia, we’re your local experts in data transfer. Previous Next

  • GoAnywhere MFT: the duct tape in your IT Toolbox | GSA

    < News GoAnywhere MFT: the duct tape in your IT Toolbox 11 Sept 2025 There are few modern inventions more versatile than duct tape. It can patch a leaky pipe, hold together a broken car bumper, or even fashion a makeshift wallet. GoAnywhere Managed File Transfer (MFT) is to enterprise data workflows what duct tape is to the physical world: a versatile inclusion in your IT toolbox, which you’ll find useful in a pinch, and in all kinds of unexpected ways. GoAnywhere MFT quietly binds together the jagged edges of digital infrastructure. It secures, automates, and streamlines file transfers across disparate systems—whether you're dealing with legacy mainframes, cloud APIs, or finicky partner protocols. Reliable Under Pressure Duct tape earned its reputation by reliably working under pressure, across materials, without drama. GoAnywhere MFT operates in a similar spirit: it’s the IT team's go-to when compliance deadlines loom, when FTP scripts fail at 2 a.m., or when a new vendor insists on AS2 transfers with custom encryption. It may be not flashy, but it’s indispensable—quietly enforcing governance, logging every transaction, and adapting to whatever format the situation demands. Just as importantly, both duct tape and GoAnywhere MFT are trusted because they scale to the size of the problem. You can use a strip of duct tape to seal a lunchbox or wrap an entire canoe. Likewise, GoAnywhere can handle a single secure upload or orchestrate thousands of transfers across hybrid environments, all while maintaining audit trails and access controls. In a world of IT that’s increasingly complex and interconnected, having a tool on hand that’s both rugged and adaptable isn’t just useful—it’s essential. And that’s why so many IT departments choose to keep GoAnywhere MFT handy. Add GoAnywhere to your Toolbox At Generic Systems Australia we’re experts in helping Australian and NZ organisations take advantage of GoAnywhere MFT’s versatility. In fact, we’ve assisted businesses of all sizes to protect their customer data and secure their file transfers, keeping their operations running smoothly. If you have an hour to spare, we can easily demonstrate the power and ease of use of GoAnywhere’s many capabilities. Simply contact me and I’ll be happy to set up an obligation-free chat. Previous Next

  • Phishing Surges on the Back of QR Codes | GSA

    < News Phishing Surges on the Back of QR Codes 17 July 2025 New research published by the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) shows that phishing attempts have surged to levels not seen since late 2023. QR codes are increasingly the attack vector of choice. Each day, millions of emails are sent containing QR codes that lead consumers to phishing sites and malware. Q1 Lowlights · APWG observed a total of 1,003,924 phishing attacks in the first quarter of 2025 - the largest number of attacks per quarter since late 2023. · Attacks against the online payment and financial sectors grew in Q1 2025, comprising 30.9% of all attacks. · The total number of wire transfer Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks increased by 33% in Q1 2025 compared to the previous quarter. Most Targeted Industries The SaaS/Webmail sector was the most targeted industry by cyber attackers in Q1 2025, making up almost 18% of the total attack volume. The financial industry also continues to be a highly attractive sector for cyber threat attackers, with Payment, Banking, and Crypto contributing to approximately 33% of all phishing attacks in Q1 2025. QR Codes Popular QR code attacks occur when an adversary leverages QR codes to social engineer a user, such as redirecting a victim to a phishing website or to download a malicious attachment. QR codes are becoming an increasingly popular phishing tactic due to the various features they offer. Cyber attackers have been observed taking advantage of QR code features in the following ways: · The availability of free QR code generators facilitates phishing attacks due to decreased financial costs of infrastructure, and free services tend to have less resources dedicated to takedowns of legitimate service abuse and other malicious activity. · Attackers can combine QR codes with URL shorteners to obscure the true destination of the URL and thereby direct victims to malicious sites. Certain industries tend to be more prone to QR code attacks, such as Retail & Wholesale, as consumers have adapted to relying on QR codes to access these services. Burgeoning BEC APWG member Fortra tracks the identity theft technique known as “business e-mail compromise” (BEC). BEC was responsible for A$4.3B in losses in 2024 according to the IC3. In a BEC attack, a threat actor impersonates an employee, vendor, or other trusted party in an email communication and attempts to trick an employee into sending money, privileged information, or some other asset. · During the first quarter of 2025, gift card scams were once again the most popular scam type, making up more than half the total number of attacks. · The total number of wire transfer BEC attacks observed by Fortra in Q1 2025 increased by 33% compared to the previous quarter. · The average amount requested in wire transfer BEC attacks in Q1 2025 was A$65,000. · 72% of BEC attacks in Q1 2025 were launched using a free webmail domain. · Remcos RAT was the most common malware payload Fortra observed in Q1 2025. Protection Against Phishing 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

  • SECURE YOUR CLOUD DATA | GSA

    SECURE YOUR CLOUD DATA Whether you are already moving select pieces of your business to the cloud, just starting the cloud conversation, or are considering establishing a hybrid environment, you're in good company. Organisations move to the cloud in some fashion for its flexibility, scalability, and faster deployment. However, there is still hesitancy in adapting cloud technology due to security concerns as well as compliance requirements, and a lack of visibility and control. A 2023 Cloud Security Report, which surveyed the challenges and priorities of more than 750 cybersecurity professionals, found that 39% of respondents already have more than half of their workloads in the cloud, and 58% planned to get to that level in the next 12–18 months. However, Cloud security continues to be a significant concern, with 95% of surveyed organisations concerned about their security posture in public cloud environments. In this article, we explore how a robust Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution can help protect your data transfers, in transit and at rest, without compromising the convenience or cost-effectiveness of moving your business to a cloud-based environment. Cloud File Transfers Most organisations oversee dozens (if not hundreds or thousands) of in-house file transfers a day. Whether it’s sending files to employees, transferring reports to trading partners, receiving data from third-party vendors, or collecting sensitive information from customers, it’s all part of the exchange of information that is regularly processed. Where do cloud-based file transfers fit in? Cloud infrastructure can give companies a lot of leeway. Some data can be managed in the cloud, or all of it can be — the choice is entirely up to you. Moving data to the cloud can be as simple as transferring files and folders to whatever storage platform you use with your provider. And with strong encryption and security policies in place, you can control who has access to that business-critical, sensitive data in the cloud. Data that’s been entrusted to the cloud is kept in physical servers and data centres managed by cloud computing services. Almost all file movement between a business, its employees, its trading partners, and its remote locations can happen through the cloud. Sensitive information can move quickly and efficiently between the business and wherever it’s stored (even on servers around the world), which gives organisations the ability to operate smoothly and access their data from anywhere. Because everything is stored off-site, local outages and user errors are minimised, bettering the chances that important, scheduled transfers will complete successfully. The Current State of Cloud D ata Security For cloud computing platforms like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, security of customer data is one of their highest priorities. They have a variety of resources in place to protect their clients’ privacy, but despite their best attempts, these measures don’t always stop data loss, compromised information, or unexpected cloud server outages. Cloud security is a two-way street. Researching each cloud provider’s cybersecurity methods and selecting the best one for your organisation is imperative — a positive step toward ensuring your data’s integrity. But it’s not the only step. IT teams are just as responsible for the security of their sensitive business data as the cloud platforms that hold it. Whether your organisation is thinking of deploying to the cloud or already has, you'll need to perform due diligence regarding your processes and policies. Start by asking questions like these: What are our top security considerations? How will our IT team processes change? What vulnerabilities have been introduced or addressed from moving to the cloud? Do we have points of failure that should be planned for? Are cloud file transfers properly encrypted to minimise risk of data breaches? Protecting Your File Transfers Many of these questions are subjective, of course. Each IT team is likely to answer them in different ways, based on your company policies and processes. But to achieve the best possible cloud security, don’t overlook the current state of your file transfers. Encryption is often the last line of defence between a malicious user or human error and sensitive information. If, however, data is properly secured with strong encryption protocols during transfers as well as when idle and sitting on a server, a cloud breach is far less likely to result in data exposure. For those who must comply with regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, GLBA, PCI DSS, and SOX, following encryption requirements in the cloud comes with extra benefits — as long as the keys for encrypted data are safe, breached information can’t be read, preventing hackers from selling or otherwise exploiting your or your customers sensitive data. File Transfers and the Cloud When moving your data between your network and the cloud, it’s considered best practice to always encrypt your files and protect your communication using secure network protocols like SFTP, FTPS, or SCP. Your files, databases, and even entire folders should be encrypted at rest, too, whether or not the cloud platform you’ve chosen already secures it. A common dated (and not recommended) approach to file transfers uses custom scripts created by internal programmers. The scripts often include commands for encryption, which may or may not be simple to modify, depending on your team's given skillset. While this file transfer process "can" work for a while, as it addresses basic company needs initially, as the number of file transfers rise, so does the difficulty of maintaining a homegrown solution. And that’s not including other possible roadblocks, like an inability to handle logging capabilities or alerts when a file transfer fails. Managed file transfer solutions provide organisations with helpful, robust features that enable them to grow with their data exchange requirements –– especially beneficial when moving to a cloud environment. GoAnywhere Managed File Transfer GoAnywhere MFT eliminates the need for homegrown scripts and multiple programs by streamlining the file transfer process. It can be installed in a cloud-based environment (single or multi) or on-premises via a variety of platforms, giving you full control of your deployment. Transfers can be scheduled and automated with custom workflows (projects), and data can be sent securely between systems, employees, customers, and trading partners. Meanwhile, administrators are given a single point of control with extensive security settings, audit trails, and reports, greatly reducing the possibility of user errors and oversights. GoAnywhere also provides high return on investment by reducing the time spent on manual labour, improving the quality of file transfers, making security more cost-effective, and helping organisations meet a variety of requirements including PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, and FISMA. MFT Security and Encryption All file transfers are protected with popular encryption protocols, including SFTP, FTPS, FTP, SCP, AS2, HTTPS, Open PGP, and ZIP with AES. In the GoAnywhere MFT solution. A built-in key manager allows administrators to create, import, export, and manage Open PGP keys, SSH keys, and SSL certificates. And for those who must comply with FIPS 140-2, validated encryption ciphers can be enabled for SSL and SSH protocols. GoAnywhere offers connections to a variety of servers and guarantees file delivery by using connection retries and file auto-resume. Admins can monitor transfer success, review account activity, and authenticate user access from anywhere via GoAnywhere’s browser-based interface. Beyond basic encryption practices and features, GoAnywhere also addresses several business requirements for the cloud. GoAnywhere and Amazon EC2 For organisations that use AWS as their cloud provider, GoAnywhere MFT easily integrates with Amazon Elastic Cloud Computing (EC2). You can find, and quickly install, GoAnywhere MFT on Amazon's AWS Marketplace. You can use GoAnywhere’s secure FTP technology to protect sensitive file transfers with strong encryption technology and modern authentication methods. This creates encrypted tunnels between client and server systems and provides confidentiality and integrity to critical transmissions. Secure FTP also protects any user credentials that flow over the connection. Do you need to address high volumes of file transfers in your organisation? With GoAnywhere’s clustering technology, file transfers and other processes can be distributed across multiple Amazon EC2 instances for load balancing. And when an instance is taken offline, file transfers and jobs will be automatically routed to other installations in the cluster. GoAnywhere and Microsoft Azure For organisations that use Microsoft as their cloud provider, GoAnywhere integrates with Azure to provide IT teams with secure file transfers between all active parties. Installing and running GoAnywhere MFT on Azure is an effortless process, as everything you need is included, reducing the need for additional third-party solutions. You can install GoAnywhere on your choice of Azure-supported Windows or Linux operating systems, then set up your trading partner accounts and file transfer processes. GoAnywhere’s intuitive design and modular features allow you to be up and running on Azure quickly. If you want to scale GoAnywhere on Azure, file transfers and other processes can be distributed across multiple Azure VM instances for load balancing. Connections to a variety of databases including Microsoft SQL Server through GoAnywhere, and user accounts can be authenticated against Microsoft Active Directory to simplify user management for your file collaboration needs. Conclusion Organisations worldwide have already, or soon will be turning their focus to the cloud. Yes, security will continue to be an issue in all configurations of technology on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid situations. And moving to the cloud isn't without risk. To help prevent data loss, IT teams must do due diligence and take steps to protect their data — starting with their cloud file transfer process and solutions. Implementing a managed file transfer solution like GoAnywhere MFT enables businesses to control how their data is protected, in transit and at rest. Through strong encryption protocols, file monitoring, and integration with Amazon EC2 and Microsoft Azure, IT teams can rest assured that organisational and customer data is safe in a variety of environments without running outdated, unsecure expensive, time-consuming scripts and programs. Is it time to enhance the security of YOUR cloud data? If you’d like to discuss how GoAnywhere MFT can enhance the security of your organisation’s cloud data, please feel welcome to reach out to our Business Manager, Bradley Copson. He’s always happy to have an obligation-free discussion, explain how quickly and easily we can transition your organisation to the class-leading MFT solution, and offer you a zero-cost Proof of Concept. At Generic Systems Australia, we’re your local experts in secure Managed File Transfer. RESOURCES HOME

  • Huge Average Cost of Data Breaches Revealed | GSA

    < News Huge Average Cost of Data Breaches Revealed 22 Jan 2024 Cost of a Data Breach A$6.77 million! That was the average cost globally of a data breach in 2023, according to research by IBM. An all-time high, and a 15% increase over the last 3 years, the astonishing number was calculated through in-depth analysis of real-world data breaches experienced by 553 organisations globally – including 112 in the Asia and Pacific regions – in the 12 months prior to March 2023. Alarmingly, only a third of studied breaches were detected by an organisation's own security team. 27% were disclosed by an attacker, and the remainder came from customers, trading partners, law enforcement and other third parties. Nearly 40% of breaches were compounded by the loss of data across multiple environments including public cloud, private cloud, and on-prem. IBM recommended company security teams focus on where cyber criminals are most successful and concentrate their efforts on stopping them before they achieve their goals. This is where an investment in a Secure Managed File Transfer solution has a key role to play. The interception of ad hoc file transfers – for example, email attachments, FTP transfers and other ad hoc methods of moving data within your organisation and between its trading partners – is a key exposure. A Secure Managed File Transfer solution such as the class-leading GoAnywhere MFT addresses the many risks of these ad hoc approaches through a holistic approach and complementary array of security features. Authentication & Encryption Automatically encrypt files on disk using AES 256 encryption Use Domains to create multiple security zones. Filter connections with IP blacklists and whitelists (Global and User level). Block Brute-Force and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks with an automatic IP blacklist. Authenticate SFTP connections with passwords and/or SSH keys. Authenticate FTPS and HTTPS connections with passwords and/or SSL certificates. Ability to accept or reject files with certain extensions. Run services under non-standard port numbers. Create and manage SSL certificates, SSH keys, and Open PGP keys through integrated screens. User Access & Controls Authenticate users against LDAP, Active Directory (AD), IBM i profiles, RADIUS, RSA SecurID, Google Authenticator, Duo Security, and other IAM (Identity and Access Management) solutions. Define administrator user permissions for separation of duties. SAML support for single sign-on and dual factor authentication. Restrict users to specific home directories and subfolders. Specify folder level permissions (upload, download, delete, rename, etc.) by user and group. Restrict user logins to certain days-of-week or times-of-day. Set password policies and expiration intervals. Authorise selected services (e.g. FTP, SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS and AS2) to certain users and groups. Disable user accounts after maximum login attempts. Disable user accounts automatically after a period of inactivity. Receive instant notifications on login failures. Disable anonymous login. View the active sessions for logged-in users with the ability to terminate (kick) sessions. Auditing & Reporting Generate full audit trails of all user events and file activity with reporting. Generate reports of file transfer activity, user statistics, and completed jobs from within the console. Feed audit log messages to a central SYSLOG server. Full Compliance GoAnywhere MFT secures your sensitive files and transmits data using the latest security standards, keeping your data secure and compliant with regulations, frameworks, and standards, including: Australia’s Consumer Data Right. Singapore’s PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act). PCI DSS, the global data security standard adopted by payment card brands. The EU’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) The US’s HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) & HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act). The US’s FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act) & NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Cybersecurity Framework. Canada’s PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act). California’s Consumer Privacy Act. “An ounce of prevention…” As the old saying goes: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. To avoid becoming one of the cybercrime victims IBM studies in 2024 😉 please do explore how the world’s leading Managed File Transfer solution, GoAnywhere MFT can bolster your organisation’s Cyberdefences. Our Business Manager, Bradley Copson ( bradley@gensys.com.au ), is always happy to have an obligation-free discussion , and can offer you a no-cost trial or Proof of Concept. Previous Next

  • Use APIs to accelerate your MFT’s ROI | GSA

    < News Use APIs to accelerate your MFT’s ROI 26 Nov 2024 Leveraging APIs alongside your Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution is a great way to boost the return on investment from your MFT, and scale its deployment more broadly across your organisation. Here’s how to use APIs to add further automation, integration, scalability, and customisation to your MFT. APIs…? APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) help software applications communicate with another. Enabling APIs with a robust MFT solution is a simple way to add new functionality to your data transfer software, and accelerate the productivity and efficiency gains it offers. APIs will help you integrate your organisation’s data transfers with the many applications your organisation already use daily - CRM platforms, business intelligence tools, ERP systems and more. In doing so, you can synchronise data across your organisation and provide your team with more secure collaboration. Flexible MFT solutions that support APIs also enable you to further customise and automate your file transfers for your unique business and operational needs. Enhanced Security Of particular value is the way APIs can boost an organisation’s cyber defences by integrating their MFT solution with other data-centric security systems. For example, Generic Systems Australia’s Advanced Threat Protection Bundle layers an organisation’s protective measures with the security features of Fortra’s GoAnywhere MFT to further secure sensitive data. The added flexibility to evolve and scale as your needs change can be a game changer for IT teams seeking to maximise user experience and organisational ROI. Better Workflows Automated file transfer workflows can be “supercharged” using APIs. Here are seven specific API features and techniques organisations can leverage to maximise the value they derive from their managed file transfer solution. In each of these examples, we’ll feature API integration with GoAnywhere, the independently-assessed class-leading MFT. GoAnywhere not only provides APIs, it can also consume third-party APIs, and act as middleman, or API gateway, between other applications. 1. RESTful API An interface used by two computer systems to securely exchange information over the internet, REST (Representational State Transfer) can be used to manage users, groups, triggers, projects, and schedules. This simplifies new user onboarding and migrating systems and environments. For example, you can use the REST API to create a new web user programmatically and eliminate the manual tasks often needed for on-boarding new trading partners. You can also start/stop file transfer jobs and query the status of active jobs. 2. REST Enable a Secure Form Within the GoAnywhere dashboard you can select REST Enable Secure Forms to trigger more complex API calls on the backend of Advanced Workflows . Then, using standard REST calls you can invoke the secure form and its underlying project. Rest Enabled Secure Forms can also act as a REST API gateway to computing resources normally not available to public internet users. The GoAnywhere server can be deployed on the secure network and the solution’s Secure Gateway can act as the link to the public internet in the DMZ. An administrator can enable curated access to internal REST APIs that would normally be available only via VPN or by a dedicated network connection. Comprehensive audit logs and fine-grained user access controls can turn GoAnywhere MFT into a complete API gateway. The Method createPayload (GET https://localhost:6443/rest/forms/v1/ticket/payload ) will insert the payload. The Method uploadAttachments (POST https://localhost:6443/rest/forms/v1/ticket/payload/ :payloadId /file ) will upload one attachment at a time. The Method submitPayload (POST https://localhost:6443/rest/forms/v1/ticket/payload/ :payloadId /submit ) will submit the payload. The Method downloadAttachment (GET https://localhost:6443/rest/forms/v1/ticket/payload/ :payloadId /file/ :fileId ) will download one attachment at a time. 3. GoAnywhere HTTPS You can use GoAnywhere HTTPS project tasks to automate file transfers, create Secure Mail Packages, or programmatically place files in Secure Folders for uploading or downloading For example, if you need to send a large, automatically generated report to a user, you can enable the GoAnywhere HTTPS Send Package task in GoAnywhere. Simply create a project to automatically pick a file (or files) and send a package as a link via Secure Mail. You can protect that package with a password, track the number of downloads, or prevent further downloads after 24 hours. Another GoAnywhere HTTPS task is the ability to set up programmable uploads to GoDrive, a solution which provides Enterprise File Sync and Sharing (EFSS) services for employees and partners. 4. Quick Uploads Enabling Quick Uploads in HTTP Service enables you to turn GoAnywhere into a REST endpoint for file exchange. Quick Uploads (which requires a POST Method with Authentication) allows the solution to upload files to GoAnywhere via REST, effectively turning your GoAnywhere Secure Folders feature into a REST-enabled file exchange gateway. REST-enabled file exchange is very useful for other applications to have a place to store and exchange files. The end users don’t really know what is happening under the hood, but it allows application developers to provide lots of flexibility and build easy-to-use applications. 5. Project Run Mode You can start a project in the background in the dashboard's triggers, schedules, and within the project designer’s Call Project task. For example, if you need to start a long-running job, you simply start a job in Batch mode, which will run in the background, and the system will be automatically notified when it is finished. Need to copy a huge file set? Then run a Job that spawns multiple Batch Jobs. For example, every sub folder in your file set could be sent as separately spawned batch jobs. Running multiple jobs in the background in parallel will help optimise your computing resources, increase your throughput, and spread the workload to other nodes in your GoAnywhere cluster. In addition to setting the run mode, you can also set the priority and the job queue. For example, some long-running CPU intensive jobs, such as archiving or backup, can be set to run on a lower priority status or on a lower priority queue so that your core MFT operations remain more responsive. 6. Consume Third-Party APIs Consuming APIs is the process by which an application developer accesses the various APIs that are exposed by the API provider and then uses those APIs to develop one’s own software applications and products. Within GoAnywhere you can use HTTP/HTTP Post and GET Project tasks or Webservices REST tasks to call third-party APIs. For example, once a file is uploaded, you can create a trigger that will automatically import the file into third-party applications, such as a CRM or trouble ticketing system. Additionally, GoAnywhere offers Cloud Connectors to the most popular applications in the industry. (If you cannot find a cloud connector for the application you need, use the Project Webservices or HTTP/HTTPS POST Project tasks to connect via REST to the application of your choice.) 7. Promote Features Continuous Integration and Delivery CI/CD functions are important in every large IT Project. GoAnywhere delivers the ability to promote every user, project, schedule, trigger, secure form etc, from development to staging to production. You can use “Promote” REST API calls to automatically migrate your configurations from development to staging to production. Working on a live production system presents additional challenges. Even the most diligent administrators can make mistakes and accidentally delete or rename configurations which take an entire system offline. Using GoAnywhere’s Promote features, either via GUI or as an API call, is required to maintain maximum system stability and reliability. If you do not have a test system yet, consider deploying one to minimise the risk of human error. API Options to Boost Automation GoAnywhere offers many powerful API options that can seamlessly automate basic file transfer tasks for IT teams and users. You can mix and match the seven techniques above to create a next-generation automation framework that goes far beyond standard MFT functionality. Need Help? It’s Here - Locally! If you’d like help using APIs to boost your MFT’s ROI and your team’s productivity, please feel welcome to get in touch with 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

  • Cybercrime Incident Costs Triple for Australian Enterprises | GSA

    < 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

  • Fast OR Safe...? File Transfers can be both! | GSA

    < News Fast OR Safe...? File Transfers can be both! 17 Mar 2024 Sending files externally...? Now it can be both Safe AND Easy! There was a time when ensuring your organisation’s file transfers were safe was a hassle… time-consuming, inconvenient, and requiring specialised technical skills. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. Ensuring your precious data can be safely shared within your organisation and with your external trading partners need no longer be complicated. In fact, the best data technologies save you time and money, and make data exchange easy . Here’s how. The Fast and the Fraught Hitting “send” is an everyday routine for most employees. Sending files to suppliers and customers is as easy as a couple of mouse clicks. However, each of these thousands of daily data transactions is a potential target for cybercriminals. The more ad-hoc and varied the file transfers, the greater the risks. Too often, organisations only realise their need for a more robust approach after they’ve experienced a costly data breach. Other times, data vulnerabilities become apparent when organisations want to start trading with partners who employ more stringent data safeguards... particularly in industries where there are strict data compliance requirements, such as healthcare, finance, transportation and defence. Failure to adhere to an industry's data security regime can lead to hefty fines and sanctions for both parties to the transaction. Solving for Ease AND Security Solutions such as managed file transfer (MFT), data loss prevention (DLP), data classification, and email security can automatically secure your organisation’s data, while simultaneously keeping your business humming. Better still, by automating thousands of routine file transfers, the best solutions increase an organisation’s efficiency by saving employees’ time and enabling them to focus on higher value-added work. How to Get Started In our experience, few organisations begin with a completely clean slate and zero data protection measures in place. Usually, some enterprising individuals will have independently employed varying degrees of security using free or low-cost consumer file transfer tools. Other employees may believe – incorrectly – that they’re securing their data by simply applying files’ “read-only” settings. A few may have gone a step further and narrowly limited who has access to their department's data. Unfortunately – aside from the inherent risks of using multiple incomplete and incompatible security approaches – siloed security measures like these can also inadvertently remove resources that knowledge workers need to conduct business. As a result, organisational efficiency is impeded, with critical information becoming too slow or difficult to access. A Holistic Approach to Data Exchange At Generic Systems Australia we help organisations embrace a whole-of-business approach which reduces risk and makes data more secure while keeping your business operations and relationships running smoothly and efficiently. A good starting point is considering the impact security policies and practices have on your customer and vendor relationships: How would a data breach impact your business’s reputation, bottom line and supplier relationships? Do the policies and tools you currently use hinder your employees’ effectiveness, efficiency and productivity? Could new technology speed up the actual delivery of critical information? Could new technology be simple enough to use that most employees could readily adopt it? The Human Factor The best data security measures are invisible and automated . We’ve found that the less organisations need to rely on employees to change their behaviour, the better the risk mitigation. But even so, educating employees on data security should be an element of an improved approach. Start by explaining why you need to put in place the new policies or tools. Employees who understand the high stakes of data theft and compliance breaches are much better disposed to taking ownership of managing data transfer risks. Then focus on education. By equipping your various department heads and business process owners with knowledge about secure data exchange approaches, you can help them make the right choices when they liaise with their various supply chain partners. A multi-phase approach, leveraging middle managers and key influencers in your organisation to champion best practices, is often best. Automatically Securing Everyday Data Ideally, we want our employees to be able to safely send and receive emails and attachments without the need for them to take any additional, time-consuming steps. MFT, DLP, data classification, and email security make that possible through advanced levels of automation. In combination, these technologies examine each data transfer event and thoughtfully apply policies such as encryption, auditing, user and recipient validation, redaction, etc. This way, employees do not have to manage any of those activities, and the data transfers are performed quickly, efficiently and securely. As workforces and their workplaces become physically more dispersed – sometimes in the office, sometimes from home, sometimes from a local café – this automated approach becomes more and more beneficial. Not only does it accelerate and streamline the process of transferring data, it also reduces the risk of human error. Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Data exchange is like the human circulatory system - unseen, but absolutely critical to your organisation’s ongoing vitality. Protecting and enhancing it is both necessary and worthwhile. At Generic Systems Australia, we’ve observed that moving to a more automated, secure and efficient approach can sometimes be stalled by the very “bloat” we discussed earlier. Taking out the too-many tools which have sprung up across an organisation’s silos can seem too complicated and time-consuming to tackle. However, there is an easy and relatively inexpensive way forward… A centralised tool, such as the class-leading GoAnywhere MFT with its dashboard-style interface, can provide a holistic approach. Rather than having separate tools for encryption, auditing, reporting and automating file transfers, GoAnywhere can handle it all. It even scales as your business grows. If you’d like to discuss making your organisation’s data transfers safer and easier, adding to your organisation’s productivity and bottom line, please feel free to contact our Business Manager, Bradley Copson, ( mail to: bradley@gensys.com.au ). He’ll be more than happy to offer you an obligation-free discussion, no-cost trial, or Proof of Concept. At Generic Systems Australia, we're your local experts in Secure Managed File Transfer. Previous Next

bottom of page