Between Two Techies

Mitch and Levi cover the first major class action under Australia's updated Privacy Act (Slater & Gordon vs an IVF provider), ongoing Akira ransomware attacks targeting SonicWall users in Australia, and global incidents like the Asahi beer outage and UK government bailout of Jaguar Land Rover. They recommend small businesses adopt the simple SMB101 cybersecurity framework, get proper cyber insurance, and build strong incident reporting processes.

Mitch and Levi discuss business apathy toward cyber risks, comparing it to ignoring a broken door after a physical break-in. They reference incidents like Optus, Medibank, and Latitude, plus ongoing threats including VPN exploits without MFA, password reuse, and the SonicWall vulnerability. Key advice: treat cyber insurance as essential (along with management liability and fidelity cover), enforce MFA everywhere, use password managers, and adopt proper risk management like ISO 27001 over tick-the-box compliance. They note stabilizing insurance premiums and stress moving to proactive security.

In this episode of Between Two Techies, Mitch and Levi cover: Akamai ransomware exploiting a SonicWall firewall zero-day; a sysadmin hacked via password reuse from a comic book shop; massive SaaS sprawl risks (one client had 78 apps, most unmanaged); and the need for a simple software register. They stress getting cyber insurance early (at least $1M cover, as 82% of TSPs are badly underinsured) and using paid AI tools like ChatGPT Plus to avoid data leaks. Quick tips: use password managers and ensure data stays in approved jurisdictions.

Mitch and Levi break down the month's biggest cybersecurity stories, with a spotlight on a well-handled third-party breach at Quonus, which exposed tax-related data for many Australians; the hosts praise the company for its transparent, proactive, and timely communication—calling it a "gold standard" in crisis response that contrasts sharply with past Australian failures like Optus and Medibank. They then slam a major ransomware attack on global IT distributor Ingram Micro, criticising its delayed admission (five days of radio silence, with details leaking via Reddit) and poor ongoing updates, which amplified panic and speculation while causing huge daily revenue losses. The pair stresses the growing threat of supply chain attacks in 2025, offers practical advice on vendor due diligence, mandating cyber insurance in contracts, building a "security-first" culture where staff feel safe reporting issues without fear, and the importance of clear incident communication plans with regular updates.

Mitch and Levi discuss current cybersecurity trends, starting with a real-world supply chain scam involving a deceptive OneDrive link that mimicked a trusted contact and attempted credential harvesting through a fake Microsoft 365 login page, managed detection and response (MDR) services, underscoring why such tools are now essential rather than optional. They cover the upcoming implementation of Australia's CPS 230 risk management. The pair shares practical tips like normalizing security conversations in workplaces, treating cyber insurance as an employee benefit (including personal protections), and adopting simple frameworks like SMB 101 for better risk procedures, while predicting maturation in the cyber insurance market and emphasizing proactive measures like backups and incident response to avoid costly downtime and satisfy insurers.

Cybersecurity is the biggest concern for most businesses in Australia for a reason – those hackers are persistent and target businesses of every size and industry. And keeping up with the latest tech governance and regulatory changes is a full-time job. This episode, Mitch and Levi are giving a plain-talking, easy-to-digest update on the latest things you should know about and why you should care with plenty of real-world examples. Their discussion includes;• Recent changes to the Privacy Act and what they mean for businesses in the Central West• New APRA expectations for cybersecurity, backups and standards of governance• Why the new cybersecurity standard, SMB1001-2005, was created and how you can leverage it to drive future business

Everyone has heard about the Medibank Breach in October 2022, but you may not have heard about the recent Federal Court findings. In simple terms, not only were Medicare found to be liable for not taking reasonable steps to protect personal information, but the MSP who was working with them at the time of the breach were also found to be liable.This court finding has widespread implications for the IT channel and cybersecurity insurance that aren’t yet understood. Join Mitch Colton, Managing Director of Colton Computer Technologies, and Levi Thurston, Director of NLT Insurance, as they delve into how this could impact the industry moving forward.