< News MFT: Not Just Your First Line of Cyber Defence 16 Sept 2025 Every organisation serious about protecting its data will likely come to view a Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution as one of their first lines of defence. Employing MFT as the standard when exchanging data puts organisations light years ahead of businesses still relying on risky File Transfer Protocol and email to transfer files. MFT platforms not only centralise – and therefore, control - data transfer, they also enable companies to apply comprehensive policies which protect data. Data can be insulated from threats as diverse as inbound malware to careless employees entrusting files to external platforms beyond an organisation’s direct control, such as Google Drive and Dropbox. Critical protection policies, such as those encompassing encryption, monitoring, and auditing capability, can be enforced. High Volume = High Exposure In 2024, businesses were responsible for generating around 30% of the world’s data—an astonishing ~44.1 zettabytes. That included data such as transaction records, CRM logs, ERP systems, IoT sensor data from manufacturing and logistics, internal communications, analytics, and cloud backups, AI training datasets and other enterprise software usage. But as the volume of data used and consumed by businesses grows, so too does the cost and impact of potentially losing that data. The high ransoms now regularly being paid to cyberthieves amply demonstrate just how valuable business data has become. Surely it makes more sense to invest in a relatively inexpensive protective technology like MFT, than to lose equivalent funding — or greater — in the form of ransoms paid to cyber thieves? Lessons from Bankers Banks, traditional repositories of valuables from cash, precious metals and sensitive documents, have learned a lot over the years about protecting assets. And their learnings are relevant to how we should be protecting our valuable data. Banks no longer store our valuables in a single bank vault. Nor for that matter do they store our digital currency on a single server. Rather, banks protect our precious assets — physical and digital — behind layers of security. Physical valuables sit behind physical barriers, multiple locks, access control systems, remote monitoring and security guards. Digital valuables are protected against threats such as malware, ransomware, accidental data loss, third-party exposure, and zero-day attacks by a broad array of technologies. Sitting beneath those technologies, ensuring they’re enforced and providing a sound bedrock of centralised control, surveillance and auditing, is MFT. Adding Layered Defence At Generic Systems Australia we’re adept at installing and maintaining the world’s leading MFT, GoAnywhere . And our Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) bundle significantly enhances GoAnywhere’s data protection capabilities by introducing a proactive, multilayered defence against both external threats and internal data leakage. While GoAnywhere already provides secure encryption, access controls, and audit trails for file transfers, the ATP bundle adds dynamic inspection and sanitisation that targets the content itself—not just the container. At the heart of this integration is the Clearswift Secure ICAP Gateway, which enables deep content inspection and adaptive Data Loss Prevention (DLP). This means every file transferred through GoAnywhere can be scanned for malware, embedded scripts, macros, and other active content that could compromise systems. Unlike traditional antivirus tools, ATP sanitises files in real time—removing only the malicious elements while allowing legitimate content to pass through uninterrupted. Limiting Exposure Beyond malware, the ATP Bundle also addresses sensitive data exposure. It can detect and block files containing personally identifiable information (PII), financial records, or confidential metadata before they’re shared externally. Policies can be set to redact sensitive text, strip geotags and even apply optical character recognition (OCR) to scanned documents to catch hidden data. This empowers organisations to enforce granular control over who can transmit sensitive content and under what conditions—adding a layer of governance that encryption alone cannot provide. In essence, the ATP Bundle transforms GoAnywhere from a secure conduit into an intelligent gatekeeper. It doesn’t just move data safely—it understands what’s inside, evaluates its risk, and ensures that only clean, compliant content reaches its destination. Modular Enhancements Augmenting GoAnywhere’s capabilities are Modules which can further protect an organisation from the inherent risks of legacy protocols such as SFTP/FTPS, email attachments and manual processes. SFTP Server can be upgraded to by GoAnywhere SFTP Server Module, enabling SSH-encrypted transfer with centralised access control, audit logging and integration with Active Directory. FTPS Server can be upgraded to FT Module, offering SSL/TLS encryption, customisable access, and DMZ-safe deployment via GoAnywhere Gateway. HTTPS Web Uploads can be replaced by the Secure Folders Module to create browser-based file access with HTTPS encryption and user authentication. AS2/AS4/PeSIT can be replaced by Certified Protocol Modules, providing Retail and banking-grade secure exchange with Drummond certification. These modules consolidate disparate protocols into a single, scalable platform—reducing complexity, improving visibility, and enforcing consistent security policies across all transfers. Making Email Secure Email is ubiquitous. However, it's also one of the least secure ways to transmit sensitive data. Fortra’s Secure Mail module in GoAnywhere transforms ad-hoc file sharing into a secure, trackable process without disrupting user workflows. Using Secure Mail, Users send files as secure encrypted packages via their browser or an Outlook plugin. Recipients receive a unique link to download via HTTPS — no files are sent directly via email. Senders can set expiration dates, download limits, and password protection, and all activity is logged for auditability and compliance. Secure Mail keeps files on your infrastructure until accessed, eliminating third-party hosting risks and ensuring full control over sensitive data. Strategic Defence By replacing legacy protocols and insecure email practices with GoAnywhere’s modular architecture, organisations gain: • Unified governance over all file transfers; • Reduced attack surface via DMZ-safe deployment; • Improved compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS; and • Streamlined user experience without sacrificing security. Here to Help At Generic Systems Australia we have decades of experience helping Australian and New Zealand organisations protect themselves against malware and other cyber attacks through 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

< News A Key Question Your Anxious Board SHOULD Be Asking About Cyber Security 4 Aug 2026 Another week, another loss of confidential data from a high-profile corporation. In Board Rooms across Australia, Board Members will be quizzing security team leaders, seeking reassurance that their organisation isn’t similarly exposed. But it’s unlikely they’re diving deep enough. One important question isn’t being asked - or answered. “If our file transfer platform were compromised tomorrow, how bad would it   be?” Securing Your MFT Most discussions around cyber security comprise a checklist of compliance requirements and a list of supported protocols. While these matter, they’re not what determines whether a vulnerability turns into an incident . The difference is whether your managed file transfer system has been properly secured and made resilient. Here’s what to look for. 1. Least Privilege Is Enforced, Not Assumed  In many environments, file transfer services run with more access than they need. Elevated OS permissions, shared service accounts, and broad directory access are common. While this reduces friction, this easy access also becomes permission for attackers.   Ironically, while IT teams are implementing Zero Trust for users, too many are still granting Complete Trust to the automated pipes moving their organisation’s most sensitive data. A breach doesn't need to break your encryption if it can simply hijack your delivery system. A modern MFT platform should be able to function without blanket system‑level access, with admin actions clearly separated from operational ones. Core services should run under non‑privileged service accounts, with only the minimum permissions required to complete transfers. When MFT services run as root, administrator, or highly privileged system users, any application‑level compromise can quickly become a lateral movement opportunity. Running services under constrained, non‑privileged accounts helps ensure that a single flaw doesn’t automatically grant access to adjacent systems or sensitive resources. GoAnywhere MFT - the world’s leading Managed File Transfer solution - is designed with this separation foremost in mind. Access is intentional , not inherited. 2. Isolation Limits Blast Radius One of the biggest differentiators between a security  event  and a security  incident  is isolation. When a file transfer application is tightly coupled to the underlying operating system, any application‑level weakness risks becoming a system‑level failure. That’s when a bug can become a breach. Stronger designs enforce clear boundaries between: Application and the OS Different environments What the service can see and what it can touch This is where architectural choices like containerisation and user‑space isolation matter. Running MFT services in user‑space - rather than granting direct kernel‑level access - helps prevent application flaws from escalating into full host compromise. Containerised or sandboxed deployments further reduce risk by isolating the MFT runtime from the host operating system and from other services. If a vulnerability is exploited inside the application, the attacker is confined to that limited execution context instead of gaining unrestricted access to the system. Isolation must also extend to how MFT platforms are exposed to the internet. In properly designed architectures, no data should ever reside in the DMZ. Instead, the MFT platform should securely proxy connections from the internal network through a hardened gateway, ensuring external access is terminated safely without opening inbound ports from the internet into the private network. When file transfer servers are placed directly in the DMZ or allowed to store data there, they introduce unnecessary persistence and expand the attack surface. A hardened gateway model, combined with user‑space execution and container isolation, limits what an attacker can reach even if the external‑facing component is compromised. Isolation doesn’t prevent vulnerabilities, but it can dramatically limit what happens after one is found. 3. Protect Trust with Key Management Encrypting data in transit is essential. The greater challenge is ensuring data remains protected once it reaches the file transfer platform. Strong MFT architectures encrypt stored files using modern standards such as AES‑256, ensuring that data remains protected even if storage or system access is compromised. Equally important is how encryption keys are managed. Keys should be stored encrypted and controlled outside of file transfer workflows, ideally through an enterprise key management system. Separating key storage from transfer operations ensures that access to data does not automatically imply access to the keys that protect it. 4. Visibility Beyond Logins Most security monitoring around file transfer stops at authentication. That’s no longer enough, because when attackers target file transfer platforms, it can often look like legitimate transfers - just at the wrong time, to the wrong place, or in the wrong volume. Security teams need visibility into what data moved, where it went, how it was initiated, and whether it matched expected behaviour. This is where detailed transfer-level audits play an important role. Logs must support investigations, not just troubleshooting. This level of visibility allows SOC security teams to quickly distinguish between normal automation and misuse even when activity originates from trusted service accounts or internal systems. 5. Automation Isn’t Just a Shortcut Automation is essential. It’s also one of the more common reasons for over‑privilege, with scripts and APIs often outliving their original purpose. Credentials can eventually get reused, expanding access over time. And when those vulnerabilities surface, automation paths are often the hardest to untangle. Secure MFT platforms apply the same controls to automation  that they do to users: scoped credentials, auditable actions, and clear ownership. Automation processes should run under the same non-privileged scoped service accounts as interactive services to ensure that if a single workflow is compromised it doesn’t enable broader system access. Turning Lessons into Better Decisions The organisations weathering the cyber security storm aren’t the ones with perfect patch timing. They’re the ones whose architecture assumes failure and limits consequences. Treating MFT as critical infrastructure, one designed around least privilege, user-space execution, non-privileged service accounts, isolation, secure DMZ handling, and visibility, doesn’t eliminate risk. But it does help prevent one flaw from becoming a systemic failure. Local Help on Hand At Generic Systems Australia , we’re Australia’s and New Zealand’s deep local experts in MFT. A top ten MFT partner for Fortra globally, we have many years of experience helping organisations from small to multinational install and leverage the world’s leading MFT. Let us know if you’d like to learn more about how GoAnywhere MFT can help you. Attribution: This blog leverages excellent technical advice originally published by Jeff Burkett, Senior Solutions Engineer at Fortra. Previous Next

< News Hidden Cost of "Free" File Transfers 1 Nov 2023 The Hidden Cost of "Free" File Transfers With 329 million terabytes of data being created each day, the ability to transfer files quickly and dependably has become a core business process for every business. Surprisingly, some businesses continue to entrust this critical dependency to free file transfer software. But is this software truly “free”…? A study by Aberdeen Group identified hidden costs that businesses incur using “free” file transfer mechanisms. In fact, 80% of files sent through e-mail attachments or “free” file transfer services ended up costing organisations money in the long run. How…? It’s taking longer to move a lot of data around. For example, as our businesses are finding new ways to make use of the high-resolution cameras in our smartphones, video files growing exponentially in size. HD video – with files measured in gigabytes - is already the standard. But 4K videos – typically hundreds of gigabytes– will soon be the norm. Moving high-res movies around finds employees spending more time than ever before simply waiting for file transfers to complete. When your team is sitting around waiting for a file to arrive, there’s a significant reduction in their productivity. If it takes them 3 hours to send a file, that’s 3 hours where both they and their collaborator are without the file needed to work effectively. Multiply the number of hours by the salaries of both professionals in question and the “free” file transfer isn’t free anymore. How often have you tried to send a file, only to have the transfer crash out midway? It’s not just frustrating, it’s a further waste of time. When file transfers fail, the non tech savvy among us need to seek the help of their IT department. So, not only is their time being wasted, but there’s a labour cost in resolving the problem. Aberdeen’s study estimated that resolving each stalled file transfer required a cumulative 11 hours of team time. Even when files successfully transfer, there remain significant cybersecurity risks when sensitive files are sent via free services. In Aberdeen’s study, free service transfers were twice as likely to result in security breaches compared to those conducted with professional Managed File Transfer software such as GoAnywhere . Major security issues took an average of 16 business hours to resolve and cost companies millions of dollars. When files are too big to send as email attachments, employees turn to “free” transfer tools. However, the time spent finding such tools could have been better spent on their core responsibilities. There’s not only a better way to move data around your business and its supply chain… it’s also a more cost-effective way. Aberdeen’s study found that businesses which invested a little in a professional Managed File Transfer solution had a median return of almost 500 times their investment. When it comes to Managed File Transfer solutions, there is one acknowledged industry leader – GoAnywhere MFT . GoAnywhere automates and encrypts data between an organisation’s employees and with its trading partners, protecting from unnecessary vulnerabilities while vastly improving file transfer speed and quality. If you’d like to discuss how GoAnywhere MFT could improve your organisation’s productivity and 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

< 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

< 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 Experts Again Declare GoAnywhere “Top MFT” 23 Apr 2024 Respected independent tech analysts Info-Tech have compared Managed File Transfer solutions and once again declared GoAnywhere MFT to be the best. Their latest finding is consistent with their 2022 analysis of the most popular MFT software solutions and vendors. Taking into account vendor experience and capabilities, product features and customer satisfaction, they found then – as now – that GoAnywhere MFT was the 2024 Data Quadrant Gold Medallist. Info-Tech’s data was sourced from real end users, meticulously verified for veracity, and exhaustively analysed. Each product was compared and contrasted with all other products in the category to create a holistic, unbiased view of the product landscape. 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” Market Leader – for a reason GoAnywhere MFT's combination of versatility, security, ease of use, and budget-friendliness has propelled it to the top of the MFT market, as recognised by Info-Tech. For businesses on the quest for a comprehensive and reliable file transfer solution, GoAnywhere MFT is the smart and strategic choice. Grab Your Free Copy of the Independent Report To read more about why experts and customers alike consider GoAnywhere MFT to be the leading Managed File Transfer solution, let us know your email address via this link , and we’ll happily send you a complimentary copy Info-Tech’s report. Experience GoAnywhere MFT for yourself Generic Systems Australia is the Asia-Pacific region’s leading provider of secure MFT solutions. If you’d like to explore how your organisations’ efficiency and bottom line could be boosted through MFT technology, please get in touch with our Business Manager, Bradley Copson , for an obligation-free discussion. At Generic Systems Australia, we’re your local experts in managed file transfer. Previous Next

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

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

< News 55T Australian File Transfers in 2025 – How We Calculated that Number 20 Jan 2026 We recently shared that Australians performed about 55 trillion file transfers in 2025. Here’s how we were able to arrive at that total. More than Manual When we talk about digital activity, we tend to picture the visible layer: emails, shared documents, cloud uploads, and messaging app attachments. However, these human‑initiated actions represent only a sliver of the real story. Beneath the surface lies a vast, automated, always‑on ecosystem of backups, sync operations, content delivery networks, and machine‑to‑machine exchanges. No dataset directly reports “file transfers,” so I needed rely on authoritative adjacent metrics: including internet usage, cloud adoption, CDN penetration, and digital‑behaviour statistics. Using AI to comb and extrapolate from available data sources, I built a structured model which quantifies each of the contributing layers. Human‑Initiated File Transfers (~82B) I began with the most intuitive category: files deliberately sent or uploaded by people. Using Australia’s 2025 population (~27M), daily internet usage (97%), and workforce composition, we modelled two groups: • Digital workers sending ~22 files/day (email attachments, cloud uploads, collaboration tools). • General consumers sending ~2.3 files/day (messaging media, photo uploads, social posts). This produced a national total of ~225M files/day, or ~82B per year. Significant, but only the beginning. Automated System Backups (~11T) Modern organisations rely heavily on incremental cloud backups. We estimated: • ~200,000 Australian organisations using automated backup • ~5M files represented in each organisation’s backup set • ~3% of files changing daily This yields ~30B backup‑related file movements per day, or ~11T annually. Backups alone dwarf all human‑initiated activity. Cloud Sync Events (~115B) Cloud sync is the quiet workhorse of digital life - photo libraries, document updates, app data, and multi‑device workflows. With ~60% of Australians using at least one active sync service and ~20 sync events per user per day, we estimate: • ~314 million sync events/day • ~115 billion/year CDN Object Transfers (~34.4T) Every webpage or app screen is assembled from dozens of discrete objects — scripts, images, stylesheets, media chunks. We modelled: • ~300 page/app requests per user per day • ~15 objects per request • ~80% served via CDN This produces ~94B CDN object transfers per day, or ~34.4 trillion per year. This is the single largest contributor. Machine‑to‑Machine Movement (~11.4T) Microservices, logs, IoT payloads, replication events, and internal API calls generate enormous background traffic. Using a conservative multiplier (25% of the combined backup + sync + CDN volume), we estimate: • ~11.4 trillion M2M object movements annually The Total: 50–60T Transfers Summing all layers — human, automated, infrastructural, and machine‑driven — produces a national estimate of ~55T file and object transfers in 2025. Humans account for less than 0.2% of the total. The rest is infrastructure talking to itself. Why This Makes MFT a Must When file movement reaches this scale, traditional ad‑hoc transfer methods — email attachments, unsecured FTP servers, manual uploads — simply cannot cope. They lack visibility, governance, encryption consistency, and auditability. Worse, they create blind spots where sensitive data can leak or compliance obligations can be breached. Managed File Transfer (MFT) provides a structured, policy‑driven, encrypted framework for moving data across systems, partners, and cloud environments. It centralises control, enforces security, and ensures every transfer — human or automated — is logged, governed, and compliant. In a world where trillions of transfers happen without human involvement, MFT isn’t just a convenience. It’s the backbone of digital trust, operational resilience, and regulatory assurance. Here to Help At Generic Systems Australia , we’re Australia’s and New Zealand’s experts in helping businesses implement and take advantage of MFT solutions. 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 what MFT can do for 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 the world’s leading MFT solution, GoAnywhere . Previous Next

< News Free Cyber Health Check from Australian Signals Directorate 16 Oct 2025 Australia’s leading government agency combatting cybercrime, the Australian Signals Directorate, has launched a free tool to help small businesses, not-for-profits and individuals assess their basic cyber security. The tool takes just five minutes to complete, its assessments are anonymous, and it provides good advice on how to protect yourself and your organisation from cyber criminals. At Generic Systems Australia we have decades of experience helping local organisations combat keep cyber thieves at bay through deployment of the world’s best Managed File Transfer solution, GoAnywhere MFT . If you’d like a no-obligation discussion about how we could help you – or a health check on your existing GoAnywhere deployment - please feel welcome to get in touch with me. Previous Next