Expert advice to get ahead of the hackers
Tips to combat online scams from the latest UOW & GongTalks Luminaries live panel
In 2023, Australians lost $2.7 billion to scams, and more than 600,000 scams were reported, according to an ACCC report. Older people suffered the greatest losses.
In a climate where we second-guess using links, answering unknown phone calls, and agreeing to share data, hackers capitalise on fear and anxiety to deceive and exploit.
This topical issue was the focal point for 'Beating the Hackers', a live panel discussion presented by the University of Wollongong (UOW) & GongTalks, as part of the Luminaries series.
Sharing their advice for protecting our data and learning simple security tools to stay safe from cyber threats, the expert panel live in the Music Lounge, Wollongong Town Hall, included:
The Hon Stephen Jones MP – Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services. Stephen was first elected to the Federal Parliament in 2010. As the representative of the Whitlam electorate and a Commonwealth Minister, he is dedicated representing his community and protecting Australians from scams.
Professor Katina Michael – Arizona State University & UOW. Dr Michael is the Director of the Society Policy Engineering Collective (SPEC) and holds a joint professorial appointment across two schools at Arizona State University and is also an Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Business and Law at UOW.
Professor Shahriar Akter – A Professor of Marketing Analytics & Innovation and Associate Dean of Research at UOW’s Faculty of Business & Law, Professor Akter has a fellowship in research methods from the University of Oxford. He specialises in the study of advanced analytics and AI, algorithmic biases and digital innovation in business studies.
Tania Brown (moderator) – Tania is the manager of UOW Local, which aims to increase engagement between the local community and UOW and was formerly the Chief Operating Officer at the University of Wollongong’s SMART Infrastructure Facility. Tania was elected as a Councillor for Wollongong City Council in September 2017 and serves as Deputy Lord Mayor.
The Luminaries webinar series demonstrates the University of Wollongong's commitment to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), in particular SDG 10 (reduced inequalities) and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).
Watch the Luminaries live panel in full for a deep-dive into cybersecurity. Here are five key takeaways from the conversation.