Australian organisations are struggling to track all their IT systems and data flows, creating “blind spots” attackers exploit. vCISO.One warns these hidden assets increase breach risks and compliance failures. Their free whitepaper offers practical steps to uncover and secure unseen vulnerabilities.
-- Many Australian councils, not-for-profits, and SMEs are carrying an invisible but dangerous cyber risk: they can’t see all their IT assets or data flows. According to Brisbane-based consultancy vCISO.One, this lack of visibility creates “blind spots” that attackers are quick to exploit.
In today’s complex technology environments, new systems and applications are constantly added — sometimes by IT, sometimes by individual departments. Without a central process for tracking and documenting these changes, organisations can end up with outdated servers still online, unmonitored cloud apps holding sensitive data, and vendor accounts that should have been closed years ago.
"Every unknown asset is a potential unlocked door for an attacker," says Andrew Egoroff, Owner and Principal Consultant at vCISO.One. "We’ve found shadow IT systems no one realised were active, personal cloud accounts storing sensitive files, and even forgotten admin credentials that still worked. These are time bombs waiting to go off."
A real-world example from Queensland shows the stakes. After a small data leak, a regional council’s audit revealed that the IT team was unaware of 40% of systems in use. Departments had adopted their own tools without approval, a retired file server was still accessible to a vendor, and no one had mapped where personal and sensitive data was stored. The council faced regulatory scrutiny under the Queensland Information Privacy Act and incurred significant remediation costs.
The problem extends beyond security. Without visibility, budgets are wasted on duplicate tools, patching is incomplete, and compliance with frameworks like the ACSC ISM, Essential Eight, and ISO/IEC 27001 becomes almost impossible.
Egoroff says visibility is foundational to cyber resilience: "If you don’t know what systems you have, you can’t protect them, patch them, or plan for their recovery. Asset and data mapping should be a non-negotiable part of any security program."
Improving visibility also boosts operational efficiency. Identifying and consolidating redundant tools reduces costs, simplifies management, and frees up resources for higher-value security initiatives.
vCISO.One’s free whitepaper, “Secure Smarter, Not Harder,” provides step-by-step guidance on discovering hidden systems, classifying data, and mapping data flows between departments, systems, and third parties. It also outlines how to implement ongoing monitoring so new risks are identified before they can be exploited.
The guide is available for free download at: https://vciso.one/secure-smarter.
About vCISO.One
vCISO.One is an Australian cybersecurity consultancy founded by Andrew Egoroff. The firm specialises in delivering flexible virtual CISO services, cybersecurity program management, risk and compliance consulting, and managed security solutions tailored to small and mid-sized organisations. With decades of international experience and a practical, results-driven approach, vCISO.One helps clients strengthen their security, meet regulatory obligations, and build long-term resilience.
Learn more at www.vciso.one.
Contact Info:
Name: Andrew Egoroff
Email: Send Email
Organization: vCISO.One
Address: 29/97 Creek Street, Brisbane City, Queensland 4000, Australia
Phone: +61-1300-067-003
Website: https://vciso.one
Source: PressCable
Release ID: 89167646
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