Protecting Australian Business from Microsoft Exchange Vulnerability

The Morrison Government’s first priority is to keep Australians safe, including when they are online.

The Government is urging businesses and organisations to follow advice from the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) following vulnerable Microsoft Exchange systems being compromised by malicious cyber actors.

Many Australians have not yet installed the Microsoft patch- this is the necessary software update to protect themselves from potential compromise.

Federal Member for Mitchell, the Hon Alex Hawke MP, said individuals, businesses and organisations in Mitchell that use Microsoft Exchange should take immediate steps to urgently patch vulnerable systems.

“The Morrison Government’s first priority is to keep Australians safe, including when online, and it is vital that small businesses and organisations in Mitchell take the necessary steps to protect themselves from this vulnerability,” said Alex Hawke.

“Now that this vulnerability is known, Australians – particularly small businesses who may not update their IT security regularly – are at risk of having their business disrupted, and their data stolen and ransomed by cyber criminals”

 “If you use Microsoft Exchange it is critical that you move fast to shut this potential threat down and protect your networks from potential compromise.”

This vulnerability is new, but these kinds of threats aren’t - last financial year, the Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Cyber Security Centre received over 60,000 cybercrime reports. That is one every 10 minutes.

Cyber security is a team effort and a shared responsibility. It is vital that Australian organisations are alert to this threat and take steps to strengthen the resilience of their networks.

For all cyber security advice and guidance, including tips for how to stay secure online, visit cyber.gov.au or call 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).