Warning after cyber attack

A TOOWOOMBA law firm has urged businesses and individuals to constantly remain vigilant about online security after a cyber attack on its IT infrastructure yesterday.

“One of our staff email accounts was compromised, that was brought to our attention by a client,” Clifford Gouldson Lawyers director Amanda Tolson said.

“One client received an email that wasn’t from us, but appeared to be from us.

“It was drawn to our attention within 45 minutes of being sent. We contacted our IT providers and shut down that risk by shutting down the vulnerable account.”

Ms Tolson said the firm phoned clients of the staff member whose email had been compromised and sent out an email to all clients letting them know about the breach.

Cyber attacks are quite common in the legal industry, due to the large amounts of money transferred by law firms. Several Toowoomba firms are believed to have been the target of attacks in recent months.

“We’re in an age where these types of attacks are only going to become more frequent,” fellow director Danny Clifford said. “Everyone in business needs to be diligent in protecting information and acting swiftly if an incident occurs.”

For tips on how to stay secure online visit cyber.gov.au.