In the world of finance and investment, trust is everything.

Clients entrust you with their portfolios, personal data, and financial futures. But in 2025, that trust can be shattered in moments by a single cyberattack — and financial services firms are among the top targets.

Why the Financial Sector?

Because you hold the crown jewels.

Client identity documents. Tax file numbers. Bank details. Trading accounts. All of it is highly lucrative to cybercriminals — and with the rise of Business Email Compromise (BEC), credential theft, and ransomware, attackers don’t need to break in through the front door. All it takes is one weak link in your email chain, one outdated device, one employee clicking the wrong link.

The Data Doesn’t Lie

The ASD Annual Cyber Threat Report 2023–24 reveals the scope of the threat:

• A cybercrime is reported every 6 minutes in Australia.

• BEC scams alone resulted in over $80 million in reported losses.

• Small to medium businesses, including financial firms, lost an average of $49,600 per incident — an 8% increase from the year prior.

The financial industry is fast-paced, compliance-driven, and constantly online — a perfect storm for cyber risks.

You Don’t Need a Data Breach to Lose Client Trust

Reputation damage is often worse than financial loss. If client data is leaked, even accidentally, you could face not only penalties but a wave of lost business.

That’s why the Australian government strongly recommends aligning with the Essential Eight — a baseline cybersecurity framework that includes:

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

• Patch management

• Application whitelisting

• Regular backups and testing

• Limiting admin privileges

Compliance Alone Isn’t Enough

Staying compliant with regulations like ASIC’s CPS 234 or ISO 27001 is vital — but compliance is just the floor. True protection means looking beyond checkboxes to ensure your defences are working in real time.

Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue — it’s a boardroom priority.

Secure Your Firm Before the Headlines Do

At Red IT, we help financial services firms assess risk, close security gaps, and implement practical, cost-effective protections that don’t get in the way of doing business.

Don’t wait for an incident to discover where your weak spots are. Let’s have a no-pressure conversation about your current setup and how we can strengthen it in 2025 and beyond.

Reach out today to protect what matters most — your clients, your data, and your reputation.