You probably heard about Qantas’s massive data breach. Millions of customer records exposed – names, emails, even ID documents. It’s huge.
I know, my data was part of it. I received an email confirming my data was compromised, followed by another stating more of my information was stolen than initially believed. This not only increases my risk of scams but also reveals my preference for the vegetarian Jain inflight meal (which I highly recommend—it’s delicious, light, and served first).
Now, Maurice Blackburn (big law firm) is prepping a class action lawsuit. Qantas has money, lawyers, and giant tech teams, but they could not stop this happening.
“But no-one would target my little business”
This is what small business owners often think:
- We’re too small — no one would bother
- We don’t collect sensitive info
- We’ve got antivirus and use Google Workspace, we’re all good
But here’s the reality:
You’re not too small
Hackers use bots to scan thousands of sites looking for weak spots. If you’re online, you’re fair game.
You collect more data than you realise
Names, emails, customer details, payment info can all be used in some way by hackers.
Antivirus isn’t a full strategy
Awesome that you have this, but it’s one part of what you need to do.
Small = Easy Target
The Australian Cyber Security Centre reckons small businesses are hit by cybercrime every 10 minutes.
Why?
- No IT team
- No budget for fancy software
- One dodgy link in an email and boom! You’re locked out of your systems and being asked for ransom in Bitcoin (or something)
Small and mid-sized businesses are an easier target.
Things You Can Do Right Now (that even I, with a degree in International Politics, could do!)
Cyber insurance usually expects you to do a few sensible things — and these are just good habits anyway:
- Turn on automatic updates (laptops, phones, browsers — all of it)
- Use multi-factor authentication (yes, that annoying one-time PIN is worth it)
- Back up your stuff somewhere safe
- Lock your devices when you step away (especially in cafes or coworking spaces)
- Use a password manager (not sticky notes)
- Delete old personal data you no longer need
If you’re not doing this yet, now’s a good time. It’ll also help you qualify for cyber insurance or prevent a claim being denied if you do get attacked.
(We made a simple checklist here if you want to tick things off.)
What Cyber Insurance Actually Covers
Cyber cover isn’t just for huge companies. It’s surprisingly helpful, flexible and cheap!
Depending on the policy, it can cover:
Ransomware attacks
Business interruption if your systems go down
Email scams (like invoice redirection fraud)
PR help and legal costs
Claims from customers whose data got leaked
And we’re not talking about thousands a month — many small businesses can get cover for under $1,000 a year.
Bottom Line: If Qantas Can Get Hacked, So Can You
Qantas has teams of cybersecurity pros and still got smashed. They’ll survive, but smaller businesses may not (and do not, in many cases) as they can’t afford things like:- Two weeks offline
- Paying a ransom
- Rebuilding trust with customers
- Dealing with lawyers
If your reaction to what you have read so far is an uneasy feeling and one more thing on the list of things you should probably do (go for a run, drink less, call Mum, get cyber cover), we can help.
We can explain things in ‘normal person language’, help you get the basics in place and, of course, give you Cyber Cover options
Get in touch here — zero pressure, no jargon, just a quick convo to see if cyber cover makes sense for you.
Now, must call Mum.
Worried About Cyber Threats? Let’s Secure Your Business.