South Australian public servants have been told to remain vigilant as attacks surge by 500% in five years
SA’s public servants have been warned to smarten up on cyber security as a worrying spike in attacks reveals hundreds have been falling for the oldest trick in the book.
SA News
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Public servants have been urged to be vigilant about cyber security with new figures showing a 25 per cent growth in incidents last year – and 500 per cent growth in five years.
A new directive from the Department of Premier and Cabinet has also reminded public servants of their reporting responsibilities warning failure to be vigilant can result in misconduct findings.
The directive, called Cyber Security Incident Management, was approved by State Cabinet just days after Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the country it had been under cyber attack by a state player – attributed later to China.
Taking effect on July 1 the updated circular reminds departments and agency employees to maintain cyber security reporting, obligations and procedures.
“Failure of an individual to comply with this Circular, will be considered in contravention of/failure to comply with a lawful and reasonable direction and thus misconduct.”
Misconduct findings can lead to a raft of disciplinary actions including being stood down without pay or termination.
Figures provided to The Advertiser from the Department of Premier and Cabinet show that in 2019 there were 1609 cyber incidents recorded by government departments and agencies – up from 1287 in 2018 and just 319 in 2014.
Phishing – that is the fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information, or data, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by pretending to be a trustworthy entity in electronic communication, usually email – is the major form of incident.
“Of the 1,609 reports received in 2019, more than 56% were a result of malicious or unwanted emails,” a Department spokeswoman said.
“Cyber-attacks are inevitable and some will ultimately be successful, resulting in compromise or theft of information.
“It’s forecast that demand in Australia for cyber security services and related jobs will grow by at least 21 per cent over the next five years.
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“Our cyber security must be strong and sophisticated and that’s why we are ensuring that South Australia can capitalise on job opportunities in this space.”
Premier Steven Marshall told The Advertiser the growth in attacks has highlighted why cyber security is being taken seriously by the South Australian Government as both a challenge and an opportunity.
“Cyber is a critical growth industry, and while there are many challenges, there is also tremendous opportunity in terms of employment here in South Australia, and across the nation,” he said.
“We’re seeing increases in cyber threats, and that’s something we’ve taken extraordinarily seriously as a Government since day one.
“This highlights the importance of strengthening our cyber defences, which is why the opening of the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre at Lot Fourteen has come at the perfect time.”