Did you know that in 2025, over three-quarters of Australian businesses are expected to face a cyber breach. It’s now more important than ever to have cyber security awareness and prevention protocols in place.
Protecting your business’s intellectual property and sensitive data and information is paramount. But, with ever-evolving cyber security threats and attacks, it can be difficult to stay constantly vigilant.
So if you don’t have time to talk to one of our consultants, here’s a short article that may help you understand the different types of cyber threats and how to respond to each.
Note: This does not constitute official cybersecurity advice and is for general information by nature.
Phishing Attacks
Cyber phishing attacks are a way to trick business employees into revealing sensitive data or information. They often come in the form of emails and texts, often posing as company directors and requesting urgent assistance from the victim.
Some more elaborate phishing schemes can involve links to fake websites designed to look legitimate in order to extract information.
How to protect yourself from phishing attacks:
- Employee training: By holding regular cyber security awareness training sessions that highlight phishing and include examples, your employees will become better equipped at spotting a phishing attempt.
- Email filtering: Setting up an advanced email security system can help phishing emails be detected and blocked, pushing them through to Spam immediately or preventing delivery altogether.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA): Implementing MFA company-wide adds an extra layer of security for times when data or information is compromised.
Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware is a malicious software designed to lock up or encrypt your business’s files to prevent you from accessing them. A ransom (usually cryptocurrency) is then demanded from the attacker for you to be able to restore your access.
Ransomware attacks are not only dangerous, but can have devasting effects on businesses, such as financial and data loss, and reputational damage.
How to protect yourself from ransomware attacks
- Regularly back up data: Having regular offline data back-ups can help you to restore any data held ransom. Important data should be backed up once daily.
- Regularly update systems and software: Ensure you have the latest available version of your operating system, web browser, antivirus software, and any other software you use.
- Install antivirus software and firewalls: Firewalls are essential for businesses, as they can filter and block suspicious data from entering your computer system. Antivirus software can scan, detect and respond to cyber security threats.
- Implement endpoint security: Endpoint security offers remote device security monitoring and management, allowing system administrators to focus on responding to any immediate threats.
- Enforce Application Control: Application control is a security measure that restricts the execution of unauthorised software, ensuring only approved applications can run in your environment. It helps prevent malware, unauthorised access, system compromise and reduces the risk of Ransomware.
Supply Chain Attacks
A supply chain attack occurs when someone infiltrates your digital infrastructure using a trusted third-party vendor who has access to your data and systems. These types of attacks used to refer to attacks on suppliers in a chain to access their larger trading partners.
Yet, these days, software supply chain attacks are the bigger concern. Modern software often uses third-party APIs, open source code and proprietary code from software vendors, meaning it can be vulnerable to exploitation if any part of the chain is attacked.
How to protect yourself from supply chain attacks
- Thoroughly vet and monitor suppliers: Conducting in-depth security checks before partnering with any third-party vendor is crucial. Check online reviews and try to find out information through word-of-mouth also.
- Implement strict access controls: By having stricter access controls, you can limit third-party access to essential systems only, rather than the entirety of your setup.
- Use client-side protection tools: Client-side protection tools allow you to filter downloaded content, which can lead to you searching for and stopping malicious codes before they are installed.
- Audit unapproved shadow IT infrastructure: Shadow IT (any IT handled outside of your typical IT infrastructure) can include security software and communication tools. It’s important for you and your IT team to audit these thoroughly in order to reveal any vulnerabilities they may have that hackers can utilise.
Insider Threats
An insider threat can come from an employee, contractor, or a partner. Whether it’s intentional or unintentional, an individual misusing their access to an IT infrastructure can have devastating effects on business operations.
How to protect yourself from insider threats
- Monitor user activity: Limit and track access to critical data systems to easily detect unusual behaviour and trace back to the source.
- Provide cybersecurity training: Educate your employees on best cyber security practices in order for them to remain alert and understand processes. This will help employees identify potential insider threats and reduce the risk of becoming one unintentionally.
- Implement least privilege access: This ensures that employees only have access to the minimum data and systems required for them to complete their job.
- Install SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) is a critical cybersecurity solution that provides real-time monitoring, threat detection, and incident response by collecting and analysing security data from across an organisation’s IT infrastructure. SIEM systems aggregate logs, alerts, and events from various sources—such as firewalls, endpoint security tools, servers, and cloud environments—helping businesses identify and respond to potential security threats more effectively.
Advertised Private Threats (APT)
These types of cyber security threats refer to intruders gaining unauthorised network access and stealing sensitive information and data over an extended period. These are an incredibly dangerous type of cyber threat due to the amount of information that can be collected while they remain undetected.
How to protect yourself from APTs
- Robust network monitoring: Ensure intrusion detection systems are installed to identify and monitor unusual activity across all networks and aspects.
- Segment networks: Divide networks into secure zones in order to restrict access to critical assets.
- Set up strong authentication methods: From MFA to complex passwords for users, ensure your authentication system is solid and difficult to penetrate.
- Conduct penetration testing: It’s best to identify and address any weaknesses yourself before letting them be discovered by cybercriminals.
Internet of Things (IoT) Vulnerabilities
IoT refers to a network of interrelated devices (such as smart office equipment and connected industrial systems) that connect and share data with one another, other IoT devices, and the cloud. These often lack strong security, making them likely targets for cybercriminals.
How to protect yourself from an IoT attack
- Avoid default passwords: Strong, unique passwords are necessary for all IoT devices, and make sure those passwords are securely stored to avoid hackers discovering them.
- Regularly update firmware: Make sure all of your devices have the latest security software and systems.
- Segment IoT networks: Keep your critical business systems separate from IoT devices. Isolating these devices will help to reduce critical data being compromised from IoT vulnerabilities.
Key Threats and Trends in Cyber Security for 2025
AI-Driven Threats
The rise of AI has seen businesses flourish and fall. For all the good AI systems and operations can bring a business, it can also increase the risk of cyber attack. Cyber security systems are being revolutionised with AI, enabling faster threat detection, real-time risk assessment, and implementing defenses that are designed to adapt against evolving threats.
However, cybercriminals are also utilising AI. AI allows attackers to create more sophisticated threats by analysing vulnerabilities faster, developing more targeted phishing campaigns, and deploying adaptable malware that bypasses traditional security measures. Deepfake cyber security attacks are also predicted to rise with AI-driven technologies.
Zero Trust Architecture
Businesses are looking to this advanced cyber security measure more and more. Zero trust architecture is based on zero trust principles that minimise the risk of data breaches from both internal and external threats by requiring continuous verification of all access requests.
Using this architecture, businesses can implement strict identity and access management protocols, MFA, and continuous monitoring. Zero trust architecture also aligns with evolving compliance requirements and regulatory standards, such as the Essential 8 framework.
Regulatory Compliance
With modern day cyber security threats and attacks constantly shifting form and sophistication, Australia continues to strengthen cyber security laws and regulations.
The ASD Annual Cyber Threat Report 2023-2024 outlines the threat cyber security poses across the country, and reflects the steps being taken to minimise it, touching on important frameworks and standards that need to be followed.
By staying compliant with the Essential 8 framework and the ASD cyber security guidelines, you’ll help ensure your business is protected as much as possible in the face of cyber threats.
Vulnerability Management
is a proactive cybersecurity process that involves identifying, assessing, prioritising, and mitigating security weaknesses within an organisation's IT infrastructure. It ensures that vulnerabilities in software, hardware, and network systems are regularly scanned, analysed, and patched before they can be exploited by cyber threats.
Effective vulnerability management includes continuous monitoring, automated scanning, risk-based prioritisation, and timely remediation strategies. By implementing a structured approach to vulnerability management, businesses can reduce their attack surface, improve compliance with security regulations, and enhance overall cybersecurity resilience.
Sentrian’s Options
When implementing cyber security protocols and systems, it’s important to ensure they align with an industry standard to ensure maximum protection and compliance balanced with the organisation's risk profile. But which one should you choose?
We're committed to helping businesses strengthen their cybersecurity posture with industry-leading frameworks like the Essential Eight and SMB 1001. These frameworks provide practical and effective strategies to protect organisations from evolving cyber threats, ensuring resilience and compliance.
1 - SMB 1001 - Cyber Security for Small to Medium Businesses
The SMB 1001 framework is designed specifically for Australian small and medium-sized businesses, ensuring practical and effective security measures are in place. Sentrian provides expert guidance and support to help SMBs implement this framework, reducing their exposure to cyber threats while keeping security management simple and cost-effective.
The SMB 1001 framework focuses on:
✅ Risk management
✅ Security awareness training
✅ Data protection and privacy
✅ Incident response and recovery
✅ Network security
✅ Access control
2 - Essential Eight (Australian Cyber Security Centre) - Cybersecurity for High-Risk and Enterprise
The Essential Eight, developed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), is a set of baseline mitigation strategies designed to safeguard businesses against common cyber threats. Sentrian assists organisations in implementing and maintaining these security measures to reduce risks and enhance cyber resilience.
The Essential Eight focuses on:
✅ Application control
✅ Patching applications
✅ Configuring Microsoft Office macro settings
✅ User application hardening
✅ Restricting administrative privileges
✅ Patching operating systems
✅ Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
✅ Daily backups
These strategies help businesses achieve a robust security posture, with different maturity levels tailored to their specific needs.
Get Tailored Cybersecurity Consulting Advice
We take a proactive approach to IT security, ensuring your business remains protected, compliant, and resilient in today’s digital landscape.
Contact us to talk to one of our consultants to learn which cybersecurity solutions would suit your requirements the best.
