In this episode of the Don’t Be A Sitting Duck Podcast, we explore two recent and impactful Australian cyber incidents — the University of Sydney data breach and the iiNet customer data exposure. We explain how attackers gained access, what kinds of data were compromised, and most importantly, share actionable advice for businesses to reduce their risk of similar breaches.

Main Stories Covered:

• University of Sydney cyberattack: Personal data of current and former staff, students and alumni accessed via a code library.
• iiNet cyber breach: Contact details and account information from ~280,000 customers exposed through stolen employee credentials.

Key Takeaways:

• Legacy systems and forgotten data repositories can be prime targets — don’t ignore them.
• Stolen credentials are often all a cybercriminal needs to begin a breach.
• Multi-factor authentication and strong access controls are essential.
• Staff training on credential security and phishing awareness is critical.

This podcast was produced by National PC, delivering expert cyber security services in Townsville and Cairns through our Empower Managed IT solutions—secure, reliable, and built for North Queensland businesses.

View Show Notes and full transcript here: https://sittingduck.com.au/podcast/sydney-university-iinet-cyber-breaches-what-businesses-must-learn/