Tag Archive for: australian

Optus: Telecom boss Kelly Bayer Rosmarin quits after Australian outage


Image caption,

The firm has come under fire following a nationwide network outage this month

The chief executive of Australian telecom giant Optus has resigned after a nationwide outage this month.

Kelly Bayer Rosmarin has been under pressure to quit after overseeing a tumultuous three years for the firm.

Along with the network failure which left almost half of Australia disconnected, she was at the helm during a major data breach last year.

In a statement, she said it had been “an honour to serve” but it was now appropriate for her to step down.

“Having now had time for some personal reflection, I have come to the decision that my resignation is in the best interest of Optus moving forward.”

Ms Bayer Rosmarin will be replaced by chief financial officer Michael Venter while the firm searches for a replacement.

The chief executive of Optus’s Singaporean parent company thanked her for her hard work during a “challenging period” – pointing out she had improved financial performance despite being appointed at the beginning of the pandemic.

But Yuen Kuan Moon said the Singtel Group understood her decision to resign.

“We recognise the need for Optus to regain customer trust and confidence… Optus’ priority is about setting on a path of renewal for the benefit of the community and customers,” Mr Moon said.

The outage on 8 November left 10 million Australians and thousands of businesses without mobile or internet coverage for over 12 hours.

The failure caused transport delays, cut hospital phone lines, shut down payment systems, and blocked about 200 people from calling emergency services.

Ms Bayer Rosmarin has faced criticism over her response to the incident, including at a Senate hearing on Friday.

There she revealed thousands of Australians were pursuing the telecom for compensation.

The company is also fighting a class action lawsuit from more than 100,000 current and former customers over the data breach in September 2022.

Affecting 10 million people, it was at the time believed to be the worst data breach in Australian history.

Optus had apologised and blamed a sophisticated cyber-attack, but critics disputed that, including the Minister for Cyber…

Source…

Best VPNs for Australian iPhones – Forbes Advisor Australia


An iPhone VPN can protect your privacy on the go and at home. Here’s what you need to know about choosing the best one.

Essential Mobile VPN Features

  • Strong Encryption: Get a VPN with industry-standard encryption protocols such as OpenVPN and WireGuard for better security and privacy.
  • Strict No-Logs Policy: No-logs policy assures that the VPN provider doesn’t store any info on your internet usage, making it impossible for them to share your data with other people.
  • Kill Switch: This feature automatically severs your device from the internet if the VPN connection disconnects, ensuring there are no data leaks.
  • DNS Leak Protection: DNS leak protection safeguards your DNS queries, keeping your browsing activity private and secure.
  • IPv6 Leak Protection: This feature prevents IPv6 leaks, which can expose your real IP address and compromise your privacy.

iOS Compatibility and Multi-Device Use

Most iPhone VPNs also work on other iOS devices such as iPads and iPod Touch. Additionally, many VPN providers offer apps for non-Apple products, including Android and Windows devices, allowing you to secure multiple devices under a single subscription. However, some providers have protocols built for specific devices (for example, hide.me has Bolt for Windows).

Pricing

Users should expect to pay for VPNs on a subscription basis, typically monthly or annually. Standard iPhone VPN rates are around $5 AUD to $15 AUD per month if paid month to month, but users can save significantly by opting for longer-term plans. Annual and multi-year subscriptions often come with considerable discounts, lowering the average monthly cost.

There’s usually no difference in pricing for mobile VPNs compared to desktop computers, as most VPN providers offer multi-platform support within the same subscription plan. However, additional features such as a dedicated IP address, which provides you with a unique IP for enhanced privacy and access to certain services, may come at an extra cost.

To reduce VPN costs, you can:

  • Look for promotional offers or seasonal discounts provided by the VPN provider.
  • Choose a longer-term subscription plan, which often comes with a lower average monthly cost.
  • Compare various VPN…

Source…

Cyber Security Job Daily Tasks



Phoenix ICT Solutions to partner with Australian Missile Corporation to support GWEO


Phoenix ICT Solutions is pleased to announce that it has signed a Letter of Intent with The Australian Missile Corporation (AMC). The AMC was invited to become an Enterprise Partner of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) enterprise in April 2022 and has since been engaged by the Commonwealth of Australia to assess national industrial capability and readiness to support GWEO outcomes.

Phoenix ICT Solutions has identified several opportunities to cooperate with the AMC including Cyber Security Assurance, Electronic Warfare, C4ISR, Systems Engineering, Test and Evaluation activities. 

Phoenix ICT Solutions CEO, Vijay Selvarathinam, said, “We are thrilled to work with AMC and its network of partners to assist in the delivery of this iconic Australian Defence Program.”

Phoenix ICT Solutions is an Australian SME headquartered in Canberra and has recently expanded its portfolio to include information technology, intelligence, systems engineering, and other in-demand capabilities centred in the Defence and National Security space. This expansion also increases Phoenix ICT Solutions service offering to Defence from strategic business advice, architecture and design to data science and systems engineering and integration, and grows its cadre of clients to now include the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, Head Quarters Joint Operations Command, Chief Information Officer Group, Army Head Quarters, DIO, Australian Cyber Security Centre and Space Command.

Source…