Security Expert Urges Vigilance Following Mackay Sugar Cyber Attack

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The recent cyber security incident affecting Mackay Sugar has highlighted the growing threat cyber criminals pose to businesses and critical infrastructure across regional Australia.

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Mackay Sugar, Australia’s second largest sugar manufacturer with an annual turnover exceeding $600 million, operates the Farleigh, Marian, Racecourse and Pleystowe mills across the Mackay region.  

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The company first announced on June 10^th that it was responding to a cyber security incident affecting some of its operations.

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Since then, Mackay Sugar has issued several updates, with its latest statement on June 15^th.

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Part of the statement read, ‘Steam trials are now underway, and subject to final validation activities, some harvesting is expected to recommence this week in preparation for the staged restart of crushing operations later this week. We have taken the responsible course of action in advising growers and harvesters not to recommence harvesting until we advise them to do so.

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‘Our ongoing priority remains the safety of our people and protecting operational systems. Specialist cyber security experts continue to work alongside our teams and relevant authorities to investigate the incident and restore systems safely.

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‘We have also reported the incident to the appropriate authorities, and we will continue to adhere to our regulatory obligations.’

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In an interview with Rob Kidd from ABC Tropical North, Jason King of Regional Queensland Investigations discussed how cyber attacks unfold and why regional businesses are increasingly being targeted.

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Mr King, a former Australian Federal Police Agent who specialised in fraud and cyber-crime at their headquarters in Canberra, holds a Security Firm Licence (Class 1), a Bachelor of Computer Science, Master of Laws (LLM), a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Hons), said the nature of cyber-attacks can vary significantly.

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He noted that cyber attacks do not always follow the same pattern and may begin with warning messages appearing on computer screens, or result in systems suddenly becoming inaccessible or completely inactive, depending on the nature of the attack.

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Speaking during the interview with Rob Kidd, King said Mackay Sugar's extensive operations make it an attractive target for cyber criminals.

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"They do everything at Mackay Sugar and Farleigh, and at Racecourse… and it goes off to market, you've got so many different players in it, you've got your workers here, you've got your sugar growers, you've got your cane trains, and you've got so many different elements to that operation.

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“It can bring the industry to its knees."

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Unfortunately for businesses, and even individuals, cyber attacks are increasingly on the rise.

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"There's always been an increase. It's been like this for the last 10 years, but hackers get more intelligent. They understand how to get past certain firewalls, some security."

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"Regional communities have experienced even more of an increase. They realise they can go outside the cities now because we've got big infrastructure here. We’ve got power stations. We've got the sugar industry."

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Drawing on his extensive experience, Mr King said cyber security threats are constantly evolving. He explained that the motivations behind attacks can differ, ranging from operational disruption to the theft of valuable information.

Mr King also noted that cyber attacks can have different objectives, including operational disruption and data theft. Adding to this, he said that while the exact circumstances surrounding the Mackay Sugar incident remain unknown, organisations should avoid revealing details publicly while investigations are ongoing.

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He also offered advice on how organisations should respond to ransomware attacks.

"My advice for Mackay Sugar is try and find out where that data breach came from. Roll it back, fix it. If they don't fix it, it'll happen again, and it'll happen even worse."

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He went on to say that businesses of all sizes should treat cyber security as an essential investment rather than an afterthought.

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"Make sure you've got a competent IT security [systems] for a start, and make sure everything is updated.”

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"You've got to be proactive when it comes to cybersecurity, not reactive."

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Overall, Mr King stressed that no organisation is too small to become a target.

"You might have a business of three people, but you're still prone to any cyber attack, just like Mackay Sugar, the Australian Government, Optus, whoever."

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Mr King is now encouraging businesses and individuals alike to remain vigilant, noting that cyber security threats continue to impact organisations of all sizes across regional Australia.

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