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In the aftermath of the cyber attack it suffered earlier this month, critical infrastructure operator Ventia has said that its customers will require “systems assurance”.
In a release posted by the company on Wednesday (12 July), Ventia said that it is confident that the cyber incident it identified on 8 July has been contained and that all of its key systems have been “safely re-enabled, and additional key external-facing networks are being progressively restored”.
In addition, Ventia has said that its customers will need some “systems assurance” following the attack.
“Ventia’s customers will require systems assurance, and we are working with external cyber security experts to facilitate verification and continuous improvement of our network security,” it said.
The company doesn’t go into detail about what the systems assurance procedures will involve, but systems assurance generally involves ensuring that the systems are functioning as designed and that any exploitable vulnerabilities are patched and covered.
On top of this, Ventia has said that its investigation is currently underway and that it is working with relevant law enforcement and regulatory bodies.
“Ventia continues to work closely with the relevant regulators and law enforcement as our investigation and response continues.
“Once again, we apologise for any disruption and appreciate the patience, understanding, and assistance that customers and stakeholders have shown Ventia.
“At all times, we will prioritise the security and safety of our people, our customers, and our stakeholders,” it said.
While the company has not confirmed that the incident was indeed a cyber attack, a report by The West Australian found that contractors for Ventia responsible for custodial services for the WA Department of Justice had changed from automatic measures of tracking and admitting prisoners to manual ones.
In addition, investigators were also looking into what sensitive data held by Ventia had been leaked, if any.
This is the third update that Ventia has released regarding the cyber incident after it previously said it needed to take some key systems offline to contain the incident.
The incident comes as cyber attacks on critical infrastructure become an increasing risk to national security.
Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security Clare O’Neil has said that Australia must prepare for a “dystopian future” in which threat actors and organisations will hold entire digitally connected cities to ransom.
“[A future where] our interconnected cities are held hostage through interference in everything from traffic lights to surgery schedules,” she said in a speech at Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Sydney Dialogue in April.
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