Earlier this year, State-sponsored actors perpetrated many attacks targeting Microsoft customers, impacting email systems globally.
Months later, over 75,000 systems and domains are yet to have the vulnerability fixed. Microsoft released security updates to protect customers and strongly encouraged everyone to apply the updates immediately.
This was followed by a public campaign by US Cyber Command and the Australian Centre for Cyber Security to encourage organisations to apply the patch. Most customers did so.
In Papua New Guinea, 77 public and private sector organisations remain vulnerable, several months after Microsoft sounded the alarm and the patch was released.
Australian company Internet 2.0 and PNG partner Astrolab have launched a public awareness initiative to assist those in the region whose cyber security protections are not what they should be.
Internet 2.0 is a cyber security technology company that focuses on developing affordable but sophisticated cyber security solutions and partners with Astrolab, a PNG-owned Internet Service Provider and Cyber Security business.
“Given the severity of this vulnerability, we have gone one step further and provided any organisation concerned about their exposure with a mechanism to check their risk,” says Chris Lawley, Internet 2.0’s Chief Commercial Officer.
He said the past 18 months have made clear to all the impact viral attacks can have and this is no different.
“We are also conscious that the impact is not felt equally across an economy. This vulnerability impacts people who don’t have access to the sophisticated cyber security talent that exists in the market, and it has fallen heavily on the developing world,” said CEO of Astrolab PNG, John Young.
“When the issue first came to light, we have been working to assist government and larger at-risk businesses, though like with all threats a policy of prevention is always more effective than treatment,” Mr Young stated.
Organisations that remain exposed leave themselves vulnerable to ransomware attacks that then have a material impact on their operations, protection of customer information and ultimately profitability.
Internet 2.0 Advisory Board Member, Maria MacNamara says: “Between 2019 and 2020, there has been a 62 percent increase in ransomware. It is incumbent upon leaders of every organisation and their boards to satisfy themselves that their systems are secure.
“One way to mitigate the risk of ransomware attacks is for leaders to be aware of the significant attacks and satisfy themselves that their organisations have responded and that a policy of patch early is critical."