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< News Strong Growth in Cyber Security Workforce Projected 6 June 2025 Australian Cyber Network’s recently released State of the Industry 2024 report contains some interesting reading about the composition and qualifications of Australia’s cyber security workforce. Continued Growth, Changing Composition According to ACN, the nation’s cyber security workforce has continued its rapid expansion, reflecting both increased demand for cyber security professionals and the evolving nature of cyber threats. In 2024, it reached 137,453 professionals, up 9% over the previous year. However, within the overall growth, there’s been a shift in how cyber security roles are structured, and the priorities being placed by organisations on different skill sets. For example, 41% of the total roles are dedicated cyber security positions which explicitly require security expertise, and the remaining 59% are related roles, where cyber security is a significant but not exclusive aspect of the jobholder’s responsibilities. Within the dedicated category, 36% require deep technical expertise. These include Cyber Security Engineers, Penetration Testers and Security Architects. This indicates that, while cyber security expertise is becoming more specialised, a growing number of professionals across all sectors are required to integrate security skills. Functionally, the cyber security workforce remains heavily concentrated in Database Administrators and ICT Security Specialist roles (54%), followed by Software and Applications Programming (24%) and ICT Management (22%). Among the roles requiring deep technical expertise, Cyber Security Engineers, Penetration Testers and Developer Programmers dominate, with 81% within the Software and Applications Programmers category. These figures suggest that cyber security remains deeply embedded within the software development and data security domains, reinforcing the importance of integrating security considerations into the early stages of software engineering and IT infrastructure development. Gender Diversity From a gender diversity perspective, Australia’s cyber security workforce remains heavily male-dominated, with only 25% women. However, that’s an 8% increase since 2021, so progress is being made. ACN attribute the improvement to sustained efforts by industry groups, government initiatives and corporate programs, as well as the work of organisations dedicated to fostering a stronger, more connected community for women in cyber security. Workforce Projections ACN projects the cyber security workforce to grow significantly through to 2029, albeit at a reduced rate. By 2029, they expect the total workforce to grow to 193,000 roles, with slightly higher growth in dedicated roles. They believe that, while demand will remain strong, the acceleration seen in previous years may stabilise. Overall, the data reveals that cyber security analysts and engineers are driving the bulk of workforce expansion, highlighting industry demand for both frontline detection and incident response capability as well as technical implementation expertise. Skills Still In High Demand State-by-state forecasts reveal that, while Australia’s cyber security workforce appears sizeable on paper, with many states showing a healthy current supply of workers including jobseekers, supply is not keeping pace with projected demand. Across most jurisdictions, the number of workers per vacant job is steadily declining, signalling increased pressure on talent pipelines. States like Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia, despite having the largest supply pools, will still show significant tightening in their job markets by 2029. South Australia and Queensland, with some of the highest worker-to-job ratios today, are projected to see those gaps narrow. ACN says this trend underscores the urgent need to build new entry pathways, accelerate training and retain talent, or risk a widening disconnect between workforce availability and industry needs across the country. Previous Next

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

< News Zero Unforced Errors 29 Jan 2026 GoAnywhere Managed File Transfer executes your organisations data transfers with consistency and accuracy, eliminating the risks that come with manual processes. It automates complex workflows so your data moves reliably between systems, partners, and applications. Strong security controls protect files in transit and at rest, ensuring compliance with organisational and regulatory requirements. Centralised monitoring provides clear visibility into every transfer. At Generic Systems Australia, we have decades of experience installing and providing LOCAL support to organisations taking GoAnywhere MFT. If you'd like an obligation-free chat about how MFT could secure and speed your data transfers... hit us up! 😉 Previous Next

< News Cyber Target Paris Prepares 23 July 2024 As the attention of sports fans turns to Paris this week, so too are the nefarious attentions of the world’s cyber criminals. So: how will the world’s largest sporting event keep its data and systems secure…? Read on to learn more from those charged with defending the Summer Olympics’ IT systems. Miscreant Magnet Vincent Strubel, head of France’s national cybersecurity agency (ANSSI), warned that this year’s summer Olympics was facing an unprecedented level of cyber threats. Said Strubel: “There will be cyberattacks during the Games and the Paralympics... Some won’t be serious. Some will be serious, but won’t have an impact on the Games. And perhaps there will be some that are serious and liable to have an impact on the Games.” Franz Regul, head of the cyber team responsible for Paris 2024, said he expects the number of security events this year to be “multiplied by 10 compared to Tokyo”. There is a need to keep an exceptionally tight attack surface and tie up any loose ends like SSL misconfigurations, open ports, and privacy issues such as cookie consent violations. French anti-cybercrime units have classified the cyber threats in five categories: 1. Amateur Hackers As the “as-a-service” cybercrime economy develops, it’s become easier than ever for novice threat actors to launch more sophisticated attacks than their limited skillsets would otherwise have allowed. This lowered bar for entry will lead to a higher overall number of attacks. 2. Thrill-Seekers The sheer size and popularity of the Olympic Games will tempt those broadly inclined to create nuisance or show off their “cyber chops” to their peers. They’ll likely seek to exploit any security weaknesses in the websites or booking sites purposed for the event, including those of media organisations and sponsors. Common website security attacks such as cross-site scripting, SQL injection, and DDoS attacks will be their primary threat vector. 3. Hacktivists Activists passionate for their cause of choice are likely to attempt to hijack the world’s largest stage. 4. Black Hat Thieves The immense cashflow around the Paris Olympics makes them a potentially lucrative target for cyber thieves. Phishing attempts – expected to arrive in the form of unsolicited emails about the Games, lodging, tickets, or information followed by “helpful links” – will abound. Those who open the emails and click on the links may find their bank accounts quickly compromised. 5. Nation-State Actors The Olympics have long been a huge world stage on which global powers send political signals to countries, governments, and the world at large. As the Associated Press recently noted, “Among the most threatening cyber-adversaries are countries who might want to embarrass and exact costs on France and the International Olympic Committee.” Defending the Games French cybersecurity authorities are cagey about the significant precautions they’re taking to thwart cyber criminals. Revealing too much would give away a tactical advantage to blog-reading Black Hats. However, here’s what we know so far… 1. Ethical Hackers The ANSSI has hired ethical hackers to test the attack vectors on all Olympic websites. According to Strubel, 500 sites, competition venues and local collectives have all been put under “friendly fire”. 2. AI Artificial Intelligence is being employed to test for multiple threats across IT systems and websites. Regul said that AI was helping differentiate “between a nuisance and a catastrophe”. 3. Physical Security Transportation, supply chains, and surveillance systems are other potential targets for those seeking to compromise the Games. All have been included in the safety perimeter of the Paris 2024 cybersecurity preparations. 4. External Expertise The 2018 Winter Olympic Games were targeted by malware dubbed “Olympic Destroyer”, which aimed to disrupt the opening ceremony. Paris cybersecurity teams have tapped the knowledge and experiences of the consultants who detected and disabled that threat. A Bug Bounty program has also sought to attract the time and skills of independent IT practitioners. 5. Education & War Gaming During the past two years, ANSSI has been “war gaming” cyber incidents with the International Olympic Committees’ IT partners, and deploying cyber defence education programs across the thousands of people responsible for operating the Paris Games’ IT systems. No News will be Good News The final word on Paris’s cyber preparations belongs to Jérémy Couture, who helms the official cybersecurity hub of the Paris Olympic games. Couture said his dream for the Olympics is that technology and cybersecurity won’t be talked about - because that will mean they were a non-issue. Sports fans around the world will be hoping his dreams become reality. Need a Local Expert? If – like the Paris Games - you’d like to tap local expertise keep cyber criminals at bay, please feel welcome to contact me, Bradley Copson ( mailto:bradley@gensys.com.au ). 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. At Generic Systems Australia , we’re your local experts in secure Managed File Transfer. #MFT #managedfiletransfer #securefiletransfer #sft #cybersecurity #datatransfer Previous Next

< 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

< News Cost of Employee Data Loss Errors Soars 27 Mar 2026 Insider risk security incidents now cost organisations an average of US$19.5M annually, a 12% increase over the previous year. Everyday employee negligence – not malicious intent - has long been the root cause of most data theft. Last year it accounted for more than half of the total losses. Increasingly complex digital environments are leading to more misjudgements, process gaps, and unmanaged workflows. Shadow AI is also accelerating the data losses. As AI is increasingly adopted across the workforce, visibility and governance are failing to keep pace. Organisations are left in the dark about how routine productivity behaviours expose sensitive data. 92% of organisations surveyed by the Ponemon Institute acknowledged that generative AI has fundamentally changed how employees access and share information. Most (73%) said they worried that unauthorised AI use is creating invisible data exfiltration paths, but only 18% had fully integrated AI governance into their insider risk programs. As a result, exposure is growing faster than control. A Managed File Transfer solution is a key bulwark against unauthorised data movement. At Generic Systems Australia, we have decades of experience assisting Australian and New Zealand organisations to quickly and affordably deploy the world’s most effective MFT solution, GoAnywhere MFT . If you’d like to chat about how we could assist your organisation in preventing costly data loss errors by employees, let us know . Source: The data in this article is from Ponemon Institute’s Cost of Insider Risks 2026 Report. Previous Next

< News Why LOCAL Support Matters 15 Apr 2025 When you’re researching which software solution to invest in, it’s easy to become fixated on the minutiae of product features and technical specifications. Sure, these are important. However, experience has taught many Australian and New Zealand businesses the value of a further consideration that’s equally as important – the availability of local customer support and technical expertise. A key question to ask – especially for those of us operating businesses in a distant time zone on the far side of the planet – is: “Who do I turn to if there’s a problem?” Because that’s the moment when the value of true local customer support becomes really apparent! Beyond FAQs, Reddit & Chatbots FAQs, social media forums and chatbots can be helpful. But when it comes to IT systems, this kind of self-service can only help you so far. In a crisis, having genuine local human expertise and support available is invaluable . This is particularly true when it comes to integrative solutions such as Managed File Transfer (MFT). These often require expert configuration to integrate with the other software your organisation depends upon for daily operations. While the best MFTs can have your team up and running quickly for even complex, multi-step workflows, some scenarios – for example, establishing a disaster recovery environment, or setting up hybrid file transfer approaches – may require MFT vendor support. That’s why the breadth and depth of local support should be a key consideration when choosing an MFT solution. The Tyranny of Distance Access to local expertise and support is even more important for Australian and New Zealand businesses, operating as we do in what the rest of the world views as a smaller market in remote location and time zone. That can lead some vendors to – deliberately, or by omission – deprioritise customer support for Australian and New Zealand businesses. (How many times – either as consumers or business owners – have you needed support during our local business hours… only to realise that overseas customer support and technical support personnel are still sound asleep, or clocked off for the weekend?) A vendor which provides “boots on the ground” in Australia and New Zealand - ready and willing to service local customers’ needs – is a real advantage. Beyond Emergencies The value of having human experts available locally extends far beyond those critical moments when IT systems have failed. Professional services – such as end user training, and knowledge transfer to your IT own support personnel – are also valuable advantages. Key Customer Support Questions for Software Vendors Here are some important support questions I recommend you ask a software vendor when assessing which software solution will be best for your organisation: What hours do you provide customer support? Are technical experts available locally ? Are your technical staff expert in this specific solution? How many times have your technical staff deployed your solution to A/NZ businesses? What training do you offer? Can it be customised? Is it interactive or demonstration-led? Can I review a course outline before purchasing sessions? Is certification available for my team? What professional services are available, and how do you deliver them? Is Migration Assistance available? How are customer issues prioritised within your Customer Support team? What is the process for submitting a Support Request? Is there a Customer Portal available for downloading the latest updates, release notes, and documentation? Learning from Others’ Experiences The experiences of fellow customers can help bring the advantage of local support into sharp focus. Browsing third-party review sites such as G2, Software Reviews, and Capterra, you’ll find many reports from MFT customers about their dealings – positive and negative – with various MFT vendors’ support services. They make for thought-provoking reading! In addition, here are some expert reports and summaries comparing MFT offerings and customer service arrangements. Info-Tech Managed File Transfer Category Report : The Info-Tech Research Group evaluated the most popular managed file transfer software and vendors in the market – GoAnywhere MFT, MOVEit, IBM MFT, and more. Their detailed analysis includes a deep dive into vendor satisfaction for ease of vendor support, implementation, and product strategy. The report also provides head-to-head comparisons of leading solutions. G2’s MFT Grid Report : This report provides an analysis of providers in the MFT arena and covers satisfaction ratings, feature comparisons, market presence data, and more. G2 MFT Reviews Software Reviews PeerSpot Reviews The Best MFT, with the Best Local Support 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

< News Data Tsunami as Black Friday Sales Surge 10 Nov 2025 Data transfer traffic has already begun to surge across Australia ahead of this month’s highly-anticipated Black Friday sales event. Now the biggest sales splurge by Australians annually, Black Friday bargains are expected to generate a record $6.8B before they wind up on December 1. Adding to the momentum this year is consumer confusion over the start date (technically, November 28, the Friday after the American Thanksgiving holiday) and savvy retailers who are getting in early offering bargains. Data Transfer Tsunami The surge in sales will in turn create a tsunami of data transfers, as businesses transact, process orders, and share e-commerce files with their supply chain partners. For some businesses – those still using outdated file sharing technologies like email and FTP – this will be a hugely stressful period. They’ll need to be hyper vigilant for lost orders, failed file transfers, and man-in-the-middle hack attacks. Other businesses - those taking advantage of modern, automated file transfer technologies such as Managed File Transfer (MFT) - will weather the data tsunami with ease. MFT will comprehensively address the risks and challenges of moving information, both within their organisation, and with external suppliers, partners and customers. Through centralised control, encryption, automation and auditing, MFT will provide the security, efficiency, reliability and scalability that FTP and email never could. “Cyber Trust” Consumer trust in retailers’ e-commerce transactions will be an even more important factor in eventual sales numbers this year. High profile hacks of consumer data over the past 12 months are leading consumers to question the security of a company’s systems before handing over credit card and other information. Companies will need to be able to provide reassurance – and proof – that transactions and personal data will be secure. Companies with MFT will be better able to provide that reassurance, keeping a clean history as responsible guardians of customer data. Surf the Tsunami At Generic Systems Australia , we’re Australia’s and New Zealand’s experts in deploying MFT solutions. We routinely help retailers and their supply chain partners effortlessly stay on top of their file transfers, seamlessly scaling up to meet the heightened demands of sales surges like Black Friday, Boxing Day and the like. 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 level up your file transfer approaches. I can even arrange a simple, zero-cost Proof of Concept. Previous Next

< News One File After Another 19 Mar 2026 “One Battle After Another” may have won Best Picture at the 2026 Oscars, but winning being judged Best for seven years in a row is on a whole new level! GoAnywhere MFT has won G2’s Best Managed File Transfer software accolade for seven consecutive years. While The Academy loves a good drama, your IT team can do without. Present them with GoAnywhere MFT and your files will be transferred automatically, reliably, securely – and peacefully. Previous Next

< News ‘Cyber Trust’ needed to tap EOFY splurge 25 June 2024 Australians are shifting their End of Financial Year (EOFY) shopping focus to online deals and security, as they spend an estimated $10.1B in EOFY sales this month. New research from PayPal indicates that 38% of Australians plan to participate in EOFY sales this year. 42% of those say they will primarily shop online. Despite the growing trend of online shopping, almost all Australians (93%) are concerned about online security. Fake retail sites have begun to use generative AI to appear more convincing, and 40% of Australians are more concerned about their online security now than they were a year ago. Implications for Retailers Growing customer anxiety about e-commerce makes it more important than ever before for companies to establish trust in the security of their systems. With customers beginning to question the security of a company’s systems before handing over credit card and other information, companies need to be able to provide reassurance - and proof – that their transactions and personal data will indeed be secure. In fact, actively promoting the security of company systems may even become a point of positive marketing differentiation for companies that get ahead of these concerns. Earning Customer Trust A proactive and layered strategy for storing, transferring and securing data is essential for storing customer data, and effecting online transactions. Secure managed file transfer, secure content engines, secure digital rights management, and employee education combine to create the optimal way to prevent data theft and cyber breaches. At Generic Systems Australia , we recommend the class-leading secure managed file transfer solution, GoAnywhere MFT , to keep data safe - at rest, and in transit. Coupled with our Advanced Threat Protection Bundle , we enable organisations to safely store and transmit only the customer data they intend, without exposing their systems to malware. If you’d like to learn more about how to earn potential customers’ trust in your data handling practices through layered cyber defences, please feel welcome to get in touch with me, Bradley Copson ( mailto:bradley@gensys.com.au ). I’m always happy to have an obligation-free discussion, and even offer you a zero-cost Proof of Concept. At Generic Systems Australia , we’re your Local Experts in Secure Managed File Transfer. Previous Next