Australian university, Deakin, has suffered a data breach affecting nearly 47,000 current and past students, following a smishing attempt after a member of staff’s username and password was hacked.
“Deakin University is the latest organisation to fall victim to the sharp rise in text message scams – or smashing.
“Cyber criminals aren’t holding back from using new methods like this. To avoid falling victim, being vigilant is key, including refraining from clicking any links in text messages that you’re unsure about. It’s also crucial to keep your data, identities and banking information safe – for example, by not taking pictures of credit card and financial information, since photos often get stored in the cloud, which risks potential exposure to malicious actors.
“Organisations should care too, since operating across different channels mean exposure to new vulnerabilities – and the potential for a breach to severely damage trust and brand loyalty. To reduce the risk of scams, businesses must implement multiple security controls – this should be standard best practice for cyber security.”
“Deakin University is the latest organisation to fall victim to the sharp rise in text message scams – or smashing.
“Cyber criminals aren’t holding back from using new methods like this. To avoid falling victim, being vigilant is key, including refraining from clicking any links in text messages that you’re unsure about. It’s also crucial to keep your data, identities and banking information safe – for example, by not taking pictures of credit card and financial information, since photos often get stored in the cloud, which risks potential exposure to malicious actors.
“Organisations should care too, since operating across different channels mean exposure to new vulnerabilities – and the potential for a breach to severely damage trust and brand loyalty. To reduce the risk of scams, businesses must implement multiple security controls – this should be standard best practice for cyber security.”