Australia urged to follow Biden’s lead on cyber attacks

Max MasonSenior courts and crime reporter

Jun 9, 2021 – 5.39pm

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The Morrison government is being urged to follow US President Joe Biden’s lead and make combating ransomware a national priority comparable to terrorism, as big Australian companies grapple with increasingly frequent and sophisticated attempts to extort them.

Last week, a ransomware attack, suspected to have come from a group in Russia, on JBS Foods crippled the meatworks business in Australia and the US, leaving about 7000 meatworkers in Australia stood down without pay until the issue could be partially resolved.

Max Mason covers insolvency, courts, financial crime, cybercrime and corporate wrongdoing. A Walkley Award winner, Max’s journalism has also received awards from the National Press Club of Australia, the Kennedy Awards and Citibank. Message Max on Signal https://tinyurl.com/MaxMason