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- Small-to-Medium Businesses the Big Targets for Cybercrime | GSA
< News Small-to-Medium Businesses the Big Targets for Cybercrime 17 Mar 2024 While cyberattacks on large corporates make the headlines, it’s small to medium businesses who are being hit the hardest. The 2024 Sophos Threat Report found that the sophistication of cyberthreats faced by small to medium organisations is often on par with those used to attack large enterprises. Apparently, while the amount of money that can be stolen is less than that available from a larger organisation, cybercriminals more than make up the difference in the volume of thefts. More vulnerable, greater impact Sophos say that organisations with fewer than 500 employees are not only more vulnerable to cybercriminals, they also suffer more proportionally from the results of cyberattacks. The greater vulnerability is due to a lack of experienced security operations staff, underinvestment in cybersecurity, and smaller information technology budgets. And, when these businesses are hit by cyberattacks, the expense of recovery forces many to close. Attractive Ransomware Targets 90% of the world’s businesses are small- and medium-sized. In Australia, these businesses contribute more than 60% of the nation’s overall GDP. According to The Institute for Security and Technology’s Ransomware Task Force, 70% of ransomware attacks target small to medium businesses. Other Prevalent Threats Beyond Ransomware, a variety of other cyberthreats also pose an existential threat to small and medium businesses. Data theft is the focus of most malware targeting small and medium businesses. Password stealers, keyboard loggers, and other spyware make up nearly half of malware detections. Credential theft through phishing and malware can expose small businesses’ data on cloud platforms and service providers, and network breaches can be used to target their customers as well. Web-based malware distribution — through “malvertising” or malicious search engine optimisation — is also on the rise. Unprotected devices connected to organisational networks — including unmanaged computers without security software installed, improperly configured computers and systems running software fallen out of support by manufacturers — are a primary point of entry. Attackers are increasingly abusing device drivers — both vulnerable drivers from legitimate companies, and malicious drivers that have been signed with stolen or fraudulently obtained certificates. Email attacks have begun to feature more active engagement with targets over email, using a thread of emails and responses to make their lures more convincing. Attacks on mobile device users, including social engineering-based scams tied to the abuse of third-party services and social media platforms, have grown exponentially, affecting individuals and small to medium businesses. Your Data is Their Target The greatest cybersecurity challenge facing organisations of all sizes is data protection. More than 90% of attacks reported to Sophos involved data or credential theft, with methods ranging from ransomware attacks, to data extortion, unauthorised remote access, and simple data theft. Compromised business email userids are also a substantial problem for small to medium businesses, and the next most prevalent threat after ransomware. Stolen credentials, including browser cookies, can be used to compromise business email userids, provide unauthorised access to third-party services such as cloud-based finance systems, and entry to internal resources. Turning Your Own Tech Against You Sophos said that, as 2023 progressed, they observed an increase in the use of remote execution of ransomware. Unmanaged devices on an organisation’s own network were hijacked to encrypt files on other systems via network file access. Ransomware and other malware developers are increasingly using cross-platform languages to build versions for not only Windows, but also macOS and Linux operating systems. Small and medium businesses also need to be concerned about the security of the services they depend upon to manage their business. Attacks against managed service providers became an enduring part of the ransomware playbook in 2023. How to Protect Your Business Criminal syndicates count on smaller organisations to be less well-defended and to not have deployed modern, sophisticated tools to protect their users and assets. The key to successfully defending against their threat is to use a multi-layered strategy that includes robust data transfer protection, staff education, and multifactor authentication. A Secure Managed File Transfer solution such as the class-leading GoAnywhere MFT addresses the many risks of ad hoc techniques through a holistic approach to security, including: Automatic authentication, encryption and decryption User access controls Auditing and Reporting, and Industry standards compliance. If you’d like to beef up your organisation’s defences against the increasing threats posed by cybercriminals , please feel free to contact me , Bradley Copson (mail to: bradley@gensys.com.au ). I’m always happy to have an obligation-free discussion, and explain how we can quickly and affordably transition you from your existing approaches without disrupting your business. I’ll even offer you a zero-cost Proof of Concept. Bradley Copson Business Manager Generic Systems Australia Your Local Experts in Secure Managed File Transfer #MFT #managedfiletransfer #securefiletransfer #sft #cybersecurity #datatransfer Previous Next
- Time for a Summer Software Deal? | GSA
< News Time for a Summer Software Deal? 1 Dec 2023 It's December, and many Australian businesses will soon start winding down ahead of well-deserved holidays.But did you know, this can also be a great time to negotiate a sweet deal on an enterprise software solution?Much of the world's enterprise software is sold by US-based companies, who follow a calendar accounting year. December is the final month for them to achieve their full-year sales targets, stretch bonuses, etc . So: strike while the iron - and season - is hot... Use your negotiating advantage to squeeze a special deal on that new software solution you've been eyeing.Of course, if that solution happens to be GoAnywhere MFT - the world's leading Managed File Transfer solution - then reach out to me, and we can apply the summer squeeze together! 😉 Previous Next
- GoAnywhere's Cloud Connectors | GSA
< News GoAnywhere's Cloud Connectors 17 Mar 2024 Seamlessly integrate GoAnywhere with External Services via Cloud Connectors Cloud Connectors enable you to easily and securely transfer files between your organisation and external cloud services and applications. Also referred to as “cloud integrations”, Cloud Connectors offer out-of-the-box connectors for GoAnywhere to popular services including Salesforce, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Box, and Dropbox. For example: Let’s say one of your trading partners requests an important file and wants you to share it via a folder in Dropbox. Or perhaps you have contacts or billing information you want to update automatically in Salesforce. Cloud Connectors enable you to easily do so. Broad Range Cloud Connectors are easily downloaded from GoAnywhere MFT’s integrated Marketplace, which features Connectors for the most commonly used cloud services. These include: • Alibaba Object Storage Service • Amazon Cloud Trail, CloudWatch, EC2, Lambda, SNS, and SQS • Atlassian JIRA • Automate Plus • Azure Data Lake Storage Gen1 (superseded by Gen2) and Storage Queue • Box • Citrix ShareFile • Dropbox • Egnyte • GateScanner CDR • GoAnywhere Command • Google Cloud Storage, Drive, and Translate • JAMS • Jenkins • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, 365 CRM, OneDrive, Sharepoint Online and Sharepoint On-Premise • OPSWAT MetaDefender • Salesforce • ServiceNow • SMA OpCon Scheduler • SOS Berlin JobScheduler (Online version not supported) • Trello • Veeva CRM • Votiro • Webdocs • Zendesk (Online version not supported) Cloud Connectors can integrate with available on-premise and online versions of third-party software unless otherwise noted. How to Configure Cloud Connectors Once a Cloud Connector is installed, you can configure the connection properties as a GoAnywhere Resource. With this resource, you only need to specify the connection once before being able to seamlessly reuse it in any of your workflows and cloud file transfers. A Cloud Connector definition contains the various actions required to communicate with cloud applications. For example: authentication logging file transfer file management and error handling. In GoAnywhere, these actions appear as elements located under the Cloud Connector in the GoAnywhere Project Designer. Elements can be incorporated into your workflows alongside other project tasks, and processes can even be automated between multiple web and cloud services at once. New GoAnywhere connectors can be downloaded without needing to update the software. No Connector? No problem! While GoAnywhere Marketplace contains a broad array of Cloud Connectors, you may also want to connect to a unique external service. Custom connectors are the answer! At Generic Systems Australia, we can design and develop Custom Connectors for you, using GoAnywhere’s Cloud Connector Designer. If you’d like to discuss how your organisation’s file transfers to external cloud providers can be made more efficient and secure, please feel to contact our Business Manager, Bradley Copson (mail to: bradley@gensys.com.au ). He’s always happy to have an obligation-free discussion, explain how simply we can transition you from outdated software and approaches, and offer you a zero-cost Proof of Concept. Generic Systems Australia Your Local Experts in Managed File Transfer #MFT #managedfiletransfer #securefiletransfer #sft #cybersecurity #datatransfer 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
- Automate File Transfers to Boost Team Efficiency | GSA
< News Automate File Transfers to Boost Team Efficiency 17 Mar 2024 Dodge the Drudgery – Automate Your File Transfers Manually sending files around your organisation, and to external trading partners, is a tedious and time-consuming aspect of many employee’s lives. However, it needn’t be. You can help your team dodge the drudgery via file transfer automation software. This software enables your team to program when files should move between internal systems, other team members, or trading partners, and is often used to manage reoccurring or high-volume file transfers. Your team is freed up to focus on other business-critical tasks. Read on to find out how… The Leading Solution GoAnywhere MFT is the world’s leading secure FTP (SFTP) file transfer automation software. It enables users to quickly automate file transfers and schedule workflows, using its built-in scheduler or your existing scheduler software. Within GoAnywhere's browser-based administrator, users can also automate their workflows by executing projects with a single click. GoAnywhere MFT can execute multiple workflows concurrently, through its job management system. Administrators can define multiple job queues, grouping workflows that share common characteristics or service level agreements. Each job queue can define the priority of their jobs as well as the maximum number of concurrent jobs that can be executed from the queue. All these job queues can be managed and prioritised through GoAnywhere's Administrator interface. Built-In Schedulers With the built-in scheduler you can execute Projects (workflows) at future dates and times. Projects can run just once, or with any recurring frequency you choose. You can also define custom calendars with specific holidays or dates that are important to your organisation, or to avoid scheduling a job on a specific day. Schedules can be further personalised by specifying them to run under specific users, or with start dates, frequencies and other over-riding variables. You can also indicate the email addresses to be alerted when a Project has completed, or encounters any problem. Unlimited File Sizes Large files are no problem for GoAnywhere MFT, or its email add-on GoAnywhere Secure Mail. It enables you to send large files as secure packages on an ad hoc basis, as well as send multiple large files. Even large files transfers won’t choke... GoAnywhere provides auto-resume and integrity checks to keep big files moving, even when it encounters network connectivity challenges. Robust Audit Logs and Reporting Staying compliant with various industry regulations or privacy laws is easier with GoAnywhere MFT. You can generate comprehensive audit logs of all file transfer and administrator activity, including workflow and file server auditing and administrator logging. This data is captured for activity in GoAnywhere servers for AS2, FTP, FTPS, HTTPS, and SFTP, and it includes details on log in attempts, file uploads and downloads, errors, and other events. Reports can be quickly generated, viewed, filtered, sorted and exported as needed. Executing Projects Workflows can also be automated, executing whenever a file monitor detects new, modified, or deleted files in targeted folders. Workflows can be called from local and remote command lines, scripts, and programs using the provided commands and APIs. Workflows can additionally be called as Web Services using SOAP or REST requests. To execute Workflows based on user activity, triggers can monitor for events like when a file is uploaded or downloaded. Workflows can be executed in Debug mode, which enables users to interactively execute tasks one step at a time. At each stopping point, the values for the variables can be viewed or changed before the next task is executed. If you’d like to discuss how your organisation’s file transfers can be automated, adding to your 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. Generic Systems Australia Your Local Experts in Secure Managed File Transfer Previous Next
- A Missing Piece in Your Cyber Security Strategy? | GSA
< News A Missing Piece in Your Cyber Security Strategy? 26 Mar 2024 Is Secure Managed File Transfer a “missing piece” in your company’s Cybersecurity Strategy? The Australian Federal Government has set its sights on making Australia a world leader in cybersecurity by 2030 and is currently drafting upgraded cybersecurity regulations. In the industry consultation period just ended, they flagged new cybersecurity legislation and amendments to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act which would include: Secure-by-design standards for the Internet of Things; Mandatory ransomware reporting; and Upgraded protection for and risk management of critical corporate infrastructure. The new legislation reflects comments made by Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, in the aftermath of the 2022 Optus hack. He said “We need better laws to regulate how companies manage the huge amount of data they collect, and bigger penalties to incentivise better behaviour. (E)xisting safeguards are inadequate. It’s not enough for a penalty for a major data breach to be seen as the cost of doing business.” With new legislation — and much bigger fines — imminent, now is the time to plug any potential gaps in your organisation’s cybersecurity strategy. Protect Your Data, Not Just Your Network Increasingly frequent cyber incidents prove that cybersecurity is not keeping pace with cyber threats. According to Forbes, “Companies keep pouring tons of money into protecting their network… but the real crown jewels are in the data that sits behind the network walls. That data is often not protected." It’s not enough to lock the door. An organisation’s crown jewels should also be kept in a vault. This ensures that, even if a hacker gets inside, they won’t be able to exploit the data they find. The vault is encryption. And the security guard that puts the jewels in the vault is Managed File Transfer (MFT). How MFT Secures Your Data To be truly secure, data must be protected not only when it’s stored, but also while it’s enroute to and from storage . MFT solutions such as the class-leading GoAnywhere MFT encrypt data at rest and in transit, complying with the highest data security standards across the US and Europe (e.g. HIPAA, HITECH, PCI DSS, SOX, and the 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. The "Managed" in MFT MFT software automates and streamlines the exchange of data for you, reducing manual processes and eliminating the need for any legacy tools and scripts you might currently be using. Data (including documents, images, videos, and other files) can also be exchanged via MFT across your private networks, systems, applications, partners, and cloud environments from a single point of administration. More than Transfers MFT software isn’t only for sending files between users and systems. It can also automate business processes, ensure secure connections, track file transfer activity, and more… File Encryption GoAnywhere MFT employs integrated encryption technologies to secure sensitive data. It also includes a key manager which enables you to create, import, export, and manage your keys and certificates within the product. Automation User errors and manual processes can also cause data breaches. By automating the encryption and exchange of sensitive files, processes and workflows can run without user intervention — especially useful when dealing with a high volume of file transfers. Email Enhancement GoAnywhere MFT offers a secure email module which allows users to send one-off file transfers securely, through a HTTPS connection. Cloud Connections MFT can help you build better connections between your network and web/cloud applications. GoAnywhere MFT offers built-in cloud integrations with applications such as Dropbox, SharePoint, and JIRA, and popular cloud services including Amazon, Google and Azure. Auditing & Reporting GoAnywhere MFT provide audit reports to meet compliance needs. All file transfer and administrator activity is stored and easily searchable. For organisations that need to report on file transfer activity to remain compliant with regulations and laws, the audit logs can be automatically generated and distributed as PDF reports. These are just some of the many MFT features which can help you protect your files. Plugging in the Missing Piece With the Federal Government soon to unveil its new cybersecurity legislation, now is the time to get ahead of requirements and explore how MFT can enhance your data’s security at rest and in motion. Arrange a free MFT trial and see how it works in your organisation. The benefits are almost immediate, from file transfer automation to solid data encryption. A data breach need not be a given for your organisation. By adding the missing MFT piece to your Cybersecurity Strategy, your valuable data can remain out of reach of cyberthieves. If you’d like to discuss how MFT can complete your organisation’s Cybersecurity Strategy, please feel welcome to contact us . We’re 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! 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- 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
- 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
- Stop playing Cyber Security Whack-a-Mole! | GSA
< News Stop playing Cyber Security Whack-a-Mole! 27 Aug 2024 The increasing number and sophistication of cyber incursion attempts is stretching corporate IT departments to their limits. No sooner is one attempt identified and blocked, but another pops up. Georgia in Accounts just clicked on a bogus link in a phishing email. Rowan in Marketing is about to send a spreadsheet containing sensitive customer information to a direct marketing agency. Arush from Sales doesn’t realise the bank account details he’s emailing to HR are about to be intercepted in a “man-in-the-middle” attack. The CEO’s personal assistant, Grace, doesn’t realise she’s corresponding with an AI bot designed to cleverly gather identity information about her boss. It’s relentless - a new cyber attack every six minutes! 1 High Stakes The escalating frequency of incursions means a company’s stressed-out IT team must stay vigilant. In this high-stakes game of cyber security Whack-a-Mole, the cost of failure is simply too high: the cost of cybercrime to businesses has increased by 14% year-on-year1. share markets punish companies which fail to safeguard their data2. class actions – by those whose personal data was stolen, and shareholders seeking compensation for share devaluations – ensue3. damaged customer trust stymies revenue and market share growth4. cyber insurance premiums skyrocket5. Ditch that Rubber Mallet Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way your team could opt out of the never-ending game of cyber security Whack-a-Mole…? A way to automate your organisation’s cyber defences, assigning cyber sentries to detect and block cyberthieves, whenever and wherever they pop up? Good news – there is! And it’s surprisingly affordable and effective. A proactive and layered strategy for storing, transferring and securing data is essential for keeping cyberthieves at bay. The foundation of that approach is a technology called “Managed File Transfer”. Paired with secure content engines and secure digital rights management, Managed File Transfer (MFT) is the optimal way to prevent data theft and cyber breaches. An MFT solution such as the class-leading GoAnywhere MFT keeps your organisation’s valuable data safe - at rest, and in transit. Coupled with an Advanced Threat Protection Bundle , it enables organisations to safely collaborate without exposing their systems or team to the risks of malware. This automated defence system protects your data in three important ways: 1. Prevents files containing malware from being shared. GoAnywhere with Advanced Threat Protection scans all inbound file transfers. It can also detect and automatically strip out active content like embedded malware, triggered executables, scripts, or macros used to extract or hold sensitive data hostage. This “sanitisation” of files and emails doesn’t delay delivery, even as it guards against today's leading malware and ransomware (e.g. CryptoLocker, CryptoWall, TorrentLocker, Dridex Dyre, BlackEnergy, etc.) and tomorrow's even more sophisticated threat variants. 2. Blocks sensitive data from being shared. Files with Personal Identifiable Information or other sensitive data can be prevented from being transferred. GoAnywhere with Advanced Threat Protection can inspect file contents, and then stop and block files from being shared, based on policies you define. 3. Redacts sensitive information from files before transfer. GoAnywhere with Advanced Threat Protection can ensure sensitive data is neither transmitted nor received, detecting and/or removing geotags, document properties, email addresses, and other metadata from documents, and replacing sensitive text with asterisks. Using Optical Character Recognition, it can even remove text contained in scanned images. “The only winning move is not to play” 6. In today’s interconnected business environment, ever-increasing cyber attacks are inevitable. However, foiling these attacks no longer requires your IT team to play a never-ending game of cyber security Whack-a-Mole. At Generic Systems Australia , we’ve helped hundreds of business leaders and IT teams across the Asia-Pacific region rest easy, knowing that their valuable data is protected by the automated sentries of GoAnywhere with Advanced Threat Protection. We can do the same for you. It’s surprisingly affordable, and our Migration Services mean you can keep running your business without disruption as we you transition to a more secure approach. In fact, we’re so confident in the capabilities and business case for our MFT solutions that we’re prepared to offer you a zero-cost Proof of Concept. If you’d like to take me up on this offer, or perhaps just discuss how your organisation’s file transfers can be made more efficient and secure, please feel welcome to contact me , Bradley Copson. I’m always happy to have an obligation-free discussion. At Generic Systems Australia , we’re your local experts in Secure Managed File Transfer. Sources: 1. Australian Signals Directorate Cyber Threat Report 2023 2. For example, Medibank Private’s share price plunged more than 20% in the weeks following its loss of the personal information of 9.7m Australians. 3. For example, Medibank Private is facing class actions by both shareholders and consumers alleging “breaches of the company’s duty of care to protect consumer information, manage risks and make timely disclosures to shareholders”. Optus Communications is also subject to a class action alleging “Optus failed to protect, or take reasonable steps to protect, the personal information of its current and former customers”. 4. For example, Optus Communications saw its customer growth halved in the quarter following its systems being breached. 5. Australian Financial Review 12 September 2022: “Cyber insurance premiums soar 80pc as claims surge”. 6. A quote from the 1983 John Badham film, “WarGames”. Previous Next
- Surge in Scanning Suggests Targeted Hack Attack Imminent | GSA
< News Surge in Scanning Suggests Targeted Hack Attack Imminent 8 July 2025 A recently detected increase in attempts to hack MOVEit Managed File Transfer underlines the importance of promptly patching your enterprise software. Threat intelligence Firm GreyNoise has warned of a “notable surge” in hackers scanning MOVEit MFT systems. Scanning Surge GreyNoise said that the surge in attacks started on May 27. Since then, the volume of scanners has remained between 200 and 300 per day - a 20-30 times increase over usual levels. They suggested attackers may be probing for unpatched systems or possibly preparing a coordinated mass attack. The Australian Signals Directorate – Australia’s premier cyber crime combatants – advises that applying patches to applications is critical to ensuring the security of systems. “Once a vulnerability in an application is made public, it can be expected that malicious code will be developed by malicious actors within 48 hours, sometimes within 24 hours,” they said. Obviously, applying multiple patches in a production environment may not only be time consuming, it may well impact production system uptime and even create greater potential for compounded problems during the process. Alternatives Some organisations have been completely replacing their existing Managed File Transfer (MFT) systems with the MFT independently recommended as the world’s most advanced – Fortra’s GoAnywhere. GoAnywhere offers two key security advantages over lesser Managed File Transfer solutions. Firstly, it includes an advanced Threat Brain . This aggregates security intelligence from across Fortra’s deep portfolio of cybersecurity solutions and external providers to continuously identify and block IPs with malicious intent. Threat Brain enables GoAnywhere to quickly and proactively block threats before they infiltrate your organisation. Secondly, rather than merely patching its software, Fortra frequently releases complete updated versions. Upgrading the software to a new version is as simple as downloading the latest version from the Fortra customer portal, briefly stopping your existing version, and then installing it. Local Expertise Available At Generic Systems Australia we’ve helped dozens of Australian and New Zealand organisations transition to GoAnywhere quickly, simply and inexpensively. 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 even provide an obligation-free proof of concept. At Generic Systems Australia we’re your local experts in secure Managed File Transfer. Previous Next
