More than two in 10 businesses experienced a cyber security attack during the 2021-22 financial year, compared to almost one in 10 in 2019-20, according to new data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Robert Ewing, head of ABS business statistics, said this mornings Characteristics of Australian Business data release is important because it gives governments and researchers information about the prevalence, impacts and nature of cyber attacks.

The types of cyber attacks included scams or fraud (16 per cent); malicious software infecting computers (5 per cent); and unauthorised access or use (3 per cent).

This helps them understand who they need to support and what strategies they need to use, Mr Ewing said.

The latest figures from the ABS also show how cyber attacks impacted businesses, and on that front theres some more encouraging news. In 2021-22 just over half of the business that experienced a cyber attack were negatively impacted by it compared, to more than 80 per cent of businesses in 2019-20.

In 2021-22, 34 per cent of businesses reported loss of time in managing cyber security attacks, 18 per cent reported downtime of service, while 17 per cent reported a loss of staff productivity, Mr Ewing said.

For the first time, all businesses were asked by the ABS about the types of cyber security measures they had in place, and seven in 10 (70 per cent) reported some form of protection measure.

Over 60 per cent of businesses reported regular updates to virus protection software. Around 37 per cent of businesses regularly backed up o...

Objectively speaking, it would have seemed like SUCH a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, political stunts are almost always more about the execution than they are about the idea. And for James Esses self-described Irish commentator and co-founder of Thoughtful Therapists. Focusing on the impact of ideology on society and the safeguarding of children it seems execution isnt his strong point although he goes close to having a monopoly on breathtaking hypocrisy.

Our story begins yesterday, with our hero tweeting out this: I formally and publicly declare that I reject the label of cis. I dont believe in gender ideology. I dont self-identify as cis. Using this term makes me feel unsafe and is demonstrative of your hatred towards me. Anyone who uses the term cis to describe me is a bigot.

I formally and publicly declare that I reject the label of cis.

I dont believe in gender ideology. I dont self-identify as cis. Using this term makes me feel unsafe and is demonstrative of your hatred towards me. Anyone who uses the term cis to describe me is a bigot.

James Esses (@JamesEsses) June 19, 2023

Okay lefties, you gotta hand it to James, he might have a point, right? Sure, his tweet has some obvious problems: no-one for a millisecond believes James actually feels unsafe. Hes just using the language of the left to lampoon, and make a point. But even so, if people who demand to be addressed a certain way refuse to respect other peoples wishes about the way theyd like to identified its game on, right?

Well, the following day, James, now self-identifying as a victim (of online bullying and harassment), tweeted this: Yesterday, after posting a Tweet saying that I reject the word cis and dont wish to be called it, I receive a slew of messages from trans activists calling me cissy and telling me that I am cis whether or not I like it.

Yesterday, after posting a Tweet saying that I reject the word cis and dont wish to be called it, I receive a slew of messages from trans activists calling me cissy and telling me that I am cis whether or not I like it.

Just imagine if the roles were reversed.

James Esses (@JamesEsses) June 20, 2023

Interesting. At first blush, it seems like James may ha...

The Reserve Bank of Australia has finally acknowledged that corporate price hikes at least play a role in Australias inflation woes despite earlier this year demanding research by a respected think-tank which showed as much be withdrawn.

The minutes of the latest meeting of the RBA board, held earlier this month, acknowledged that price gouging by corporations created an increased risk that high inflation would remain. Yet earlier this year, the Reserve was highly critical of research from the Australia Institute which asserted that corporate price gouging, and the associated record profits generated by it, were a far more potent driver of Australias inflation crisis than modestly rising wages.

In its research, the Australia Institute questioned why the RBA had persistently cited wage growth as a concern, when increases were well beneath the rate of inflation, but had ignored price hikes and profits, when corporations were increasing prices well above the rate of inflation. The RBA was so critical, in fact, that the Reserve Bank, urged the Australia Institute to retract the report.

This month, the RBA minutes of the most recent board meeting acknowledge that corporate greed is a risk to inflation.

Some firms were indexing their prices, either implicitly or directly, to past inflation. These developments created an increased risk that high inflation would be persistent, which would make it more difficult to keep the economy on the narrow path, the minutes read.

Greg Jericho, policy director at the Australia Institutes Centre for Future Work, said he hoped the RBA might now be more inclined to stop punishing everyday Australians and blaming their modest, below-inflation wage rises for creating pressure on the economy.

Companies are the ones that set prices, not workers, Jericho said. The Reserve Bank has finally acknowledged that companies are not merely responding to market forces or increased costs but are increasing prices because they can take advantage of the inflation crisis to increase their margins.

This is consistent with the OECDs recent research that found profits were driving inflation not just in Australia but across many advanced economies, as well as earlier Australia Institute research.

Now, finally the Reserve Bank has itself acknowledged the role companies are playing in keeping inflation high even as the Reserve Bank acknowledges wage growth remains consistent with the inflation target, said Dr Jericho.

The post...

Properly tackling climate change requires open discussions and hard questions, in particular of people who might have already made up their minds about the best way forward. Geoff Russell explains.

I attended a Greens Party fundraiser recently in Adelaide. I didnt do a head-count of Animal Justice Party (AJP) members in attendance, but I know I wasnt alone. Many AJP members have a complex relationship with the Greens. Tammy Franks, Greens Member of the South Australian Legislative Council, has been a terrific advocate on animal issues in State Parliament and Ive worked with her on many occasions, either campaigning on shared concerns or arranging preferences during elections, and the like.

The night was full of all the things I love about the Greens, quiz questions about critters, pictures of just the eye of an animal asking you to name the species, or, even harder, having to tag a sound with its species name. Can anybody think of another quiz night where tables would nominate a representative to get up on stage and perform their favourite animal sound?

Environmental politics is full of warm touchy feely issues about cute or rare animals; as well as the not so cute. Interest in wildlife is deep and emotional for many of us, even if we are ignorant of the facts and analysis that a professional ecologist would bring to the table.

But however strong an emotional connection to land or its wild plants or animals might be, it doesnt guarantee sensible policy; not on its own. So Id have had a smattering of challenging educational questions. The kind of questions that expand your horizons, shrink your comfort zone and allow you to make truly rational policy decisions.

For example, how many tonnes of mined quartz do Uyghurs have to crush with big hammers to make a thousand megawatts of solar panels? Where does most of the worlds polysilicon in solar photovoltaic (PV) panels come from? You might like to read this for clues.

In the fie...