A frequently asked question we’ve been receiving from small businesses is: “How can we effectively respond to actions taken by employees that don’t meet our security standards.” This could refer to cutting corners around secure data storage, using weak passwords, or failing to identify phishing emails.

Here’s what our team have come up with as a start… what else can you think of?

We've had a number of customers contact us in the last few days seeking actions they can take in response to the Optus data breach.

While we try not to add to the noise around incidents like this, after data associated with 10,000 individuals allegedly from the breach was published yesterday, we felt it was appropriate to provide our members with some general guidance.

It’s a reasonable concern to have, especially in the face of recent huge data breaches. All that sensitive customer data you've been collecting wants to be free. If you're not treating the personal data you hold with care, it will find its way online and expose your customers (and your business) to scams, identity theft or worse.

But you can reduce the likelihood of this occurring and the potential harm by taking action today

Scams using a tactic commonly known as ‘sextortion’ is a form of online blackmail where a cyber scammer threatens to reveal intimate images of you online, often to family, friends and even customers. Typically, the scammers don’t in fact have any compromising information, and are using the tactic to trick and scare you into paying them off.

There are actions you can take to help protect your business from these kinds of scams.