On 21 June 2021, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security, Tim Watts introduced the private members Ransomware Payments Bill 2021 (Cth) into Parliament. The Bill would require the Commonwealth Government and big businesses to report ransomware payments to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC).

The Bill was introduced in response to the 200% increase in reported ransomware attacks on Australian organisations - including prominent incidents affecting companies such as JBS Foods and Nine Entertainment.

In a recent article, Holman Webb highlighted the importance of the Essential Eight mitigation strategies recommended by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) which, if implemented, minimises the chance of an organisation falling victim to a cyber-attack.

With this in mind, we thought it timely to remind readers of the importance of staff training and cyber-security vigilance.

Holman Webb Lawyers is proud to relay that the firm has been listed as a finalist in two categories in the Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards 2021:

• Law Firm of the Year
• Insurance Team of the Year

Click through for more information on this year's finalists, and upcoming winner announcements.

Readers will recall from an article Holman Webb published back in 2018 that the Australian Cybersecurity Centre recommended eight best-practice mitigation strategies (the 'Essential Eight') that organisations should implement as a baseline defence against targeted cyber intrusions, ransomware and malicious insiders.

These strategies may seem relatively straightforward to those working within the IT industry, but the failure of organisations to implement the strategies (including government instrumentalities) has moved the Australian government to consider mandating the implementation of the Essential Eight controls, and requiring all public service entities to implement them forthwith.

In August 2020, Holman Webb published warnings regarding cyber safety, scammers, hackers and dodgy money transfers - with a particular focus on the crucial need to take extra precautions when transferring money to third parties.

In the recent case of Deligiannidou v Sundarjee [2020] NSWSC 437, we see just how cunning hackers have become, and why not doing your due diligence prior to transferring large sums of money can be financially devastating.

Virtual meeting platforms have seen user numbers increase substantially since the end of 2019. Services such as Microsoft Teams, Skype and Zoom have become an increasingly utilised tool as a large number of businesses have directed employees to work from home during the various COVID-19 lockdowns.

When utilising services such as Skype or Zoom, businesses need to be aware of their terms and conditions, particularly what they say about intellectual property relating to content being presented through the platforms.

HealthEngine, an online booking engine and review platform for medical practises has been hit with a $2.9M fine for sharing the non-clinical personal information of 135,000 patients.

Recent reports that former NRL player Benny Elias was scammed out of $860,000 when hackers impersonated his lawyer during a property transaction come as an important reminder to be extra careful when transferring money online.

Virtual Courts – a hindrance to justice, or the way of the future?

In Episode 8 of Legal Lockdown, Adriana Giometti joins General Insurance Special Counsel Sarah Wheeler for a look at how Australia’s courts have navigated the recent lockdowns through the use of online hearings.

In EPISODE 4 of Holman Webb's Legal Lockdown series, Chief Marketing and Client Relations Officer Adriana Giometti is joined by Tal Williams, Corporate and Commercial Partner, to discuss the privacy implications of the Australian Government’s COVIDSafe App.