AUCyber joins 3AW Weekend Break with the latest advice.
In this segment, AUCyber joins 3AW Weekend Break as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Rafe Berding shares the latest advice on protecting against cyber criminals.
Cybercrime is no longer the preserve of sophisticated nation-state actors or criminal enterprises targeting large corporations. Today, everyday Australians are in the crosshairs — and the attacks are growing more convincing, more frequent, and harder to spot without the right knowledge.
The Human Factor: Why Awareness Matters Most
The most advanced security technology in the world can be bypassed when a person is deceived into handing over credentials or clicking a malicious link. Rafe Berding explains that the majority of successful cyberattacks begin not with technical exploits, but with social engineering — manipulating people rather than machines. That is why education and awareness remain the most powerful tools available to everyday Australians.
The Top Cyber Threats Affecting Australians Today
- Business Email Compromise (BEC): Criminals impersonate executives or suppliers to redirect payments to fraudulent accounts. This costs Australian businesses tens of millions of dollars annually.
- Phishing and smishing: Fake emails and text messages designed to steal login credentials or install malware. Modern phishing attacks are highly personalised and difficult to distinguish from legitimate communications.
- Remote access scams: Victims are tricked into granting remote access to their computer, typically under the guise of fixing a problem — allowing attackers to steal banking credentials or install persistent malware.
- Ransomware: Malicious software encrypts files until a ransom is paid. Small businesses and individuals are increasingly targeted alongside large enterprises.
Practical Steps to Protect Yourself
Rafe Berding shared a set of practical, immediately actionable steps that every Australian can take right now:
- Never click links in unsolicited emails or text messages. Go directly to the organisation's website by typing the address in your browser.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all accounts where it is available — especially email, banking, and social media.
- Keep software and operating systems up to date. Security patches close vulnerabilities that criminals actively exploit.
- Back up important data regularly to an external drive or secure cloud service — and verify that backups can be restored.
- Be suspicious of urgency. Scammers create time pressure to prevent victims from thinking clearly. Legitimate organisations rarely demand immediate action.
- Report suspicious activity to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) via ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au.
Getting Help When You Need It
If you suspect your accounts or devices have been compromised, act quickly: change passwords, contact your bank, and seek expert guidance. AUCyber's Australian-based security team is available to support organisations and individuals dealing with cyber incidents.
Listen to the full segment on 3AW Weekend Break.
