Australian Security Minister Expected to Prioritize Defense against Ransomware Attacks

Newly appointed Victorian Liberal MP Mr. Dan Tehan in his new role as the security minister of Australia has to tackle the growing menace of ransomware attacks will be one of the first priorities of the minister who has been nicknamed as the ‘Cyber Minister of Australia’. Dan Tehan, in a ministerial reshuffle, has been appointed a minister for assisting the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in matters of cyber security.

Ransomware is a form of attack in which a malware is used to first encrypt a file and then ransom in the form of bitcoins is usually demanded to unlock the files. Simply put, it is data kidnapping. Access to blocked files and information is granted only after a certain sum of money is paid in the form of ransom.

Dan Tehan’s immediate responsibility

Dan Tehan is expected to oversee the recruitment of at least a few hundred cyber security specialists in various positions in Australia’s cyber security organizations directly under the government. Dan Tehan, who has the experience of acting as the former chairman of the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence and Security is considered suitable for his current role. In addition, he will also be in charge of the defense personnel and veteran’s affairs portfolios.

Recent spike in ransomware attacks noted

Ransomware attacks are increasing at breakneck speed and the magnitude and scale, this year in particular, has left security establishments worried. According to ComputerWorld, America’s Federal Bureau of Intelligence has expressed concern after noting that ransom paid through Ransomware by US businesses and public sector organizations including hospitals have increased from US$ 25 million in 2015 to a mind-boggling US$ 209 million within the first three months of 2016.

Australian cybercrime detection and fighting agencies have also reported a spate lately in Australia. Australia is considered a soft target for various foreign cyber criminals who use different versions of ransomware to attack Australian organizations for money. Unfortunately, it is difficult to track the real world location of these malicious software creators and users and so it is difficult to prevent the crime.

It is believed that a drastic overhaul of Australia’s backdated data backup system is required. No doubt, it is a mighty challenge for policy-makers in the federal government and also private companies trying to create a framework to prevent further cyber attacks but one they must prioritize and accept.

It has been seen that sophisticated versions of ransomware are capable of breaching security walls and accessing backup data. These are not only attacking physical data backup systems but also those in remote locations and cloud based systems.

The Australian Security Minister’s immediate task will involve fortification of the data backup systems of federal agencies and departments and the same methods should be applied to prevent leakage of sensitive data of private companies in Australia.

The backup systems should be quarantined and verification should be authenticated at every step of the transaction. Also, the security systems should be constantly patched and updated without delay.