Blog

Are you looking to expand your company’s product line over the next few years? This month AlphaBeta published a study called Digital Innovation: Australia’s $315B Opportunity.

They identified 8 digital innovation opportunities for Australian companies, representing a $155 billion regional market. These opportunities were prioritised by Australia’s ability to capitalize on industries where companies have already proven themselves to be competitive. The study looked at 13 product lines and identified which had the most potential in the 8 industries. Perhaps your company has an opportunity in one of these areas:

• Precision Healthcare – With an ageing population putting strain on healthcare systems around the world, the demand for connected healthcare data will increase significantly in the coming decade. Product development opportunities include mobile sensors and IoT, imaging and geo-spatial services, privacy and security, data cleaning, machine learning, robotics, and digital assistants
• Digital Agriculture – Much of the world’s agricultural productivity is threatened by climate change, and increasing populations will increase demand by 50% by 2050. Product development opportunities include mobile sensors and IoT, imaging and geo-spatial services, machine learning, and intelligent systems.
• Data-Driven Urban Management – With more than 600 million people moving to Asian cities by 2030, urban planning and management can benefit greatly from improvements in data on the movement of people and construction of buildings. Needs include mobile sensors and IoT, imaging and geo-spatial services, data cleaning, machine learning, and robotics.
• Cyber-Physical Security – Physical assets and infrastructure are increasingly vulnerable to attacks, with financial services, healthcare, basic utilities, public transport, and emergency response services emerging as key targets. Product development demands will be in mobile sensors and IoT, privacy and security, machine learning, and intelligent systems.
• Supply Chain Integrity – Food and pharmaceutical safety is a growing concern as the Asia-Pacific’s consuming class grows to $1.2 billion by 2030. Secure supply chains will require mobile sensors and IoT, imaging and geo-spatial services, privacy and security, and robotics.
• Proactive Government – Policy development and strategic decision making can be greatly enhanced as expectations from government increase while trust decreases. Improved tracking, privacy and security, data cleaning, high performance computing, machine learning, and intelligent systems can help improve the public sector’s effectiveness.
• Legal Informatics – Legislative, compliance and administrative task costs have ballooned in recent years, and Australia’s cost of regulatory compliance and administration is estimated at $250 billion. Savings from automation and AI can be found with improvements in decentralized storage, privacy and security, data cleaning, machine learning, and intelligent systems.
• Smart Exploration & Production – Declining productivity in extractive industries have had a significant effect on Australia since the late 1990s. Improving exploration and production efficiencies will be aided by mobile sensors and IoT, privacy and security, machine learning, and intelligent systems.

As your company expands, be sure your system security expands along with it. Ensure your cyber-safety with 24/7 monitoring, system security measures, and concierge IT services. Contact Blutone Technologies at 1300 660 139 and find out how we can protect your growing business.

Broadly speaking there are two types of cyber scams: In one, hackers try to break into your computer or system without your knowledge; and in the other, hackers trick you into compliance with their schemes, sending texts, emails or even calling to request you to give up information. 

This latter type of scam is most threatening to individuals, but may also successfully target businesses. The scammer contacts you via phone, email or text and claims to represent large companies such as Telstra, the NBN, Microsoft or Apple, or to be a technical support service provider. This is known as a Remote Access Scam, and according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Australians lost $4.4 million in the first half of 2018 alone.

Typically the scammer says your computer has a virus or that they have detected it is sending error messages. They may also claim your broadband has been hacked, your internet connection or phone line are having problems, and that this is affecting your computer. The only way they can fix this problem is to remotely access your computer.

What happens next will vary. Sometimes they will try to sell you unnecessary software to “fix” your computer, or they may request your login, personal, bank or credit card details. Initially your interaction may seem professional, but if you don’t do what they ask, they will likely become abusive.

Protect yourself from these remote access scams at home and at work by never giving your personal or login details to anyone you have not contacted yourself. Reputable companies will not contact you to gain remote access, and will not contact you to ask for credit card information over the phone.

Remember that nothing can protect you from being contacted – but you can protect yourself by refusing to cooperate. Even a private number or listing your phone with the Australian Do Not Call Register does not stop scammers from calling or texting you. It is so inexpensive to use a dialer, these operations often just run through every possible number in every area code. Because they purport to be from very large companies, they rely on a high “hit” rate even if they are calling random numbers.

What else can you do? Add a professional monitoring service, such as Blutone Technologies My Personal Helpdesk (link to https://www.blutonetech.com.au/mph), to ensure you have the latest anti-virus software and instant concierge service when needed. If someone attempts to scam you, report it to the ACCC via their Report a Scam service (link to https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam). With common sense and solid cyber-security, you can keep your data, systems and finances protected.