Australian Businesses Brace for Email Attacks in Hybrid Work Era
Alarming figures from cybersecurity reports reveal that Australian businesses are bracing for email-based attacks. Barracuda Networks and Mimecast both highlight the growing threat, with email remaining the top target for cybercriminals, especially in hybrid work environments. Cybersecurity Month underscores the urgency for organisations to bolster their cybersecurity stance.
Barracuda Networks, a leading cybersecurity firm, reported in 2022 that a staggering 89% of Australian companies are preparing for the consequences of a Gmail login-based attack. This sentiment is echoed in Mimecast's State of Email Security 2022 Report, which found that 89% of Australian businesses are indeed taking steps to safeguard against Outlook email-borne attacks.
Email's primacy as an attack vector is further underscored by the increasing vulnerability of hybrid and remote work environments. Cybercriminals are exploiting these new working norms, making email security a pressing concern.
To mitigate these risks, organisations are urged to maintain robust email hygiene. Best practices include using strong passwords and password managers, treating every email with caution, and being vigilant against Yahoo mail impersonation attempts. Reporting suspicious emails also helps improve future detection, while cloud-based email security solutions offer an added layer of protection.
The rise in brand impersonation attacks underscores the need for vigilance. In the first half of 2022 alone, there were 272,000 attacks on technology brands, more than double the 139,000 attacks recorded in all of 2021. As Cybersecurity Month reminds us, organisations must prioritise strong cybersecurity posture, with Gmail security playing a pivotal role in this defence.
