Australian Travel Companies have been at the forefront of this global crisis – knowing months in advance of other Australians this was an unfolding disaster, the likes we have never seen in our lifetime.
We are all in absolute awe of the complex (and exhausting) work Travel Companies all the way down to you, the individual agents, have been doing around the clock through the travel plans of their customers one by one to obtain the best outcomes form them during a time of such incredible stress.
The amazing stories of Travel Agents rescuing people stranded overseas, sometimes when not even their clients, have been so inspiring – you are all in the frontline and you are all superheroes not only to those travellers, but those of us on the sidelines forced to watch on. You have made such a difference.
As the dust begins to settle over the coming weeks and months things will slow and day by day all of you are having to make tough decisions. With this in mind, we wanted to focus on two main topics for you to keep in mind:
Emergence, a leading Cyber Insurer in the Australian Market has reminded us that instructing staff to work remotely may be one way of minimising the spread of the virus. However, remote work arrangements can have security implications and cybercriminals may attempt to take advantage of that. We are already seeing COVID-19 scams being transmitted via text messages.
The cyber risks of flexible work arrangements could include malware infection, unauthorised access, data security, and insecure devices used by staff.
How do I stay safe?
Ensuring good cyber security measures now is the best way to address the cyber threat.
Consider implementing these proactive strategies:
It’s important that businesses and their staff ensure remote access to business networks is secure, so they aren’t vulnerable and business information isn’t exposed.
Remind all your staff of the risks with clear communication
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) is aware of a significant increase in Australians being targeted with COVID-19 related scams and phishing emails.
In the last three months, the ACSC and the Australian Competition and the Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Scamwatch has received over 140 reports from individuals and businesses across Australia.
These phishing emails are often sophisticated, preying on people’s desire for information and imitating trusted and well-known organisations or government agencies.
Clicking on these malicious links or visiting fake websites may automatically install computer viruses or malware and ransomware onto your device, giving cyber criminals the ability to steal your financial and personal information.
These scams are likely to increase over the coming weeks and months and the ACSC strongly encourages organisations and individuals to remain alert.
Need more help?
The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre has produced some excellent advice to help businesses stay secure from cyber threats while managing remote workforces. Click here for more information.
The ACCC’s Scamwatch website has a dedicated section for threats against small business and there are many valuable resources on this site - Click here.
International Insurer Zurich has provided general advice around the difficult decisions being made by Travel Agencies on a daily basis – what to do when temporarily closing your PHYSICAL doors.
Due to the coronavirus restrictions, many businesses are having to temporarily close, and allow staff to help sustain operations via home working. We wanted to give you some general advice about how to protect your premises during any temporary closures. If the Government restrictions continue for a significant period, further action may be required. This guidance is from a risk management perspective. Any queries relating to insurance cover should be made with your insurance advisor or broker.
Risk Control Measures:
General Advice Warning – the information in the above article is intended as a guide only and should not be relied upon without consulting your relevant insurance policy wording and conditions or conversely seeking professional advice from either your insurance broker or insurer regarding a claim or potential loss. Failure to adhere to this warning could result in a denial of a claim or potential loss or a reduction in settlement of a claim or potential loss.