In the wake of Russian-linked cyber attacks on Ukraine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) have issued a warning to Australian organisations that malicious activity may have local ramifications.
Similar warnings have been issued by the UK’s NCSC and the US Department of Homeland Security following recent sanctions on Russian institutions. As Australian society becomes increasingly digitised, agencies must prioritise measures to secure data and critical infrastructure against threat actors.
Australian organisations and government must take precautions to prepare for state-sponsored attacks as geopolitical tensions continue to escalate, according to Eric Milam, VP of research and intelligence at BlackBerry.
“As Australia is warned to bolster defences against cyber attacks following Russian threats to Ukraine, the ACSC’s concern is a reminder of the power and repercussions of Russian cyber threats internationally.
“As government agencies collect and share more digital information, they must develop a comprehensive, integrated approach to security to protect highly confidential data and communication. This can be done through AI-based threat prevention, enabling a zero-trust security environment which continuously validates that trust at every event or transaction to authenticate users.
“My own team’s investigation and prevention of these Russian threats, such as Dr. REvil, has revealed that it is crucial for organisations and government to learn how to protect against state-sponsored cyber attacks as a matter of highest priority,” Milam said.