Australians are being encouraged to take some simple steps to improve their online security as part of National E-security Awareness Week.

“Being more secure online can be as simple as getting a better, stronger password and updating it twice a year,” the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy said.

“No-one wants to lose their bank details to criminals or fall victim to an online scam and that’s why it’s important that people understand the simple steps they can take to stay smart online and protect their personal information.”

National E-security Awareness Week aims to inform Australians about the importance of e-security and highlights the simple steps people can take to protect their personal and financial information.

The week involves a range of events designed to promote the stay smart online message. This includes Change your Password Day today.

Five simple tips for improving e-security:

• Get a better, stronger password and change it at least twice a year.
• Get security software, and update and patch it regularly.
• Stop and think before you click on links or attachments from unknown sources.
• Information is valuable. Be careful about what you give away about yourself and others online.
• Visit www.staysmartonline.gov.au for more information and to sign up for the email alert service.

“Australians are increasingly using the internet in their everyday lives, doing their banking, shopping, communicating with friends and family and running their businesses. This activity will only increase as we rollout the National Broadband Network,” Senator Conroy said.

“I would like to encourage all Australians to take these simple steps to being more secure online, starting with updating their passwords.”

The Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, emphasised that a partnership approach to e-security is critical.

“Business and government are facing an increasing range of sophisticated threats to their internet connected systems and government, businesses and individuals all have an important role to play in ensuring Australia has a robust e-security environment,” Mr McClelland said.

National E-security Awareness Week highlights a shared responsibility for e-security as the Australian Government partners with more than 30 major organisations from the ICT industry, commercial business, state and territory government agencies and the community.

“I’d like to acknowledge the fantastic support of our partners who are participating this coming week and encourage everyone to take part in the activities and events on offer throughout the week ahead,” Senator Conroy said.

Information on National E-security Awareness Week activities and the alert service is available on the Australian Government’s e-security website www.staysmartonline.gov.au

Cal Wilson on season 4, episode 5, of Channel Seven’s Thank God You’re Here.

We’ve laughed so much at this we’ve had to share it with everyone else.

Hope you enjoy it too.

Yup that’s right. Having become blasé with the templates out there we decided to throw something together ourselves.

Hope you like it.

If you need your Wordpress blog/site redesigned then contact us now. We know you want to.

Update: Big Rock Graphics is offering 10 lucky individuals or businesses the chance of free designs until the end of July. Click here to find out more! Promotion has ended. Stay tuned, bookmark or add us to your RSS feed, for the next Big Rock Graphics promotion!

The Federal Government has scrapped the controversial broadband tender process and will instead form a new public/private company to build a national network, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced.

Unveiling the surprise plan today, Mr Rudd described the $43 billion fibre-to-the-home scheme as the single largest infrastructure project in the country’s history and said it would create 25,000 jobs a year during construction, with 37,000 in the busiest year.

Mr Rudd said the scheme was essential to boost long-term economic growth and set a path for the country’s economic recovery from the global financial crisis.

Source and full story at www.abc.net.au

Three cheers for planning for the future!

This news has us all excited. Not only will this allow home users to break the speed barrier Australians have had to endure for over a decade – it also allows more competition in the marketplace in regards to ISP services to homes and basic hosting plans in Australia.

We wish the Tasmanians all the best, as they’ll be the first to receive this FTTH, and to let us know what it’s like to transfer data at warp speed.

Now if we could only get the Federal Government to drop that whole backwards thinking internet filter idea…