Scam warning as businesses recover from outages
Industry leaders have warned of an influx of scams as businesses struggle to get back online following last week’s CrowdStrike outage.
Businesses are warned about an influx of emails, pop-ups and phone calls from scammers impersonating Microsoft or CrowdStrike as businesses struggle to get back online following ‘blue screen of death’ outages last week that shook companies around the world.
The risks have led the Australian Signals Directorate to recommend companies get their information from official CrowdStrike channels.
While the outages were not the result of a cyberattack, the continued risks of fraudsters seeking to exploit the phenomenon have led Cyber Wardens to encourage business leaders to review their cybersecurity processes.
In a recent statement, Australian Council of Small Business Organizations chief executive Luke Achterstraat warned businesses to be on the lookout for scammers offering support.
“We expect many small businesses to be targeted by phishing and scammers in the coming days with fake emails or phone calls with messages like ‘I’m here to help you reboot your system, just click here,'” he said.
Matt Fedele-Sirotich, chief technology officer at CSO Group and advisor to Cyber Wardens, said Australian businesses need to keep their wits about them as fraudsters look to exploit the current uncertainty.
“It is crucial that companies operate with greater awareness after major outages or global events, as attackers take advantage of our eagerness to solve the problem or be better informed. “We must all slow down and think before acting, as this will allow us to collectively better protect our customers,” said Fedele-Sirotich.
“While this incident was not a deliberate cyberattack, it underscores the importance of businesses taking proactive measures to mitigate the risk of such threats.
“Unfortunately, it is often user errors and a lack of basic digital knowledge that open the door to cyber threats, highlighting the need for ongoing education and awareness programs to strengthen cybersecurity resilience. “.
