Cyber attacks: the things you can be doing to protect your business
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is right to say that a sophisticated, state-sponsored cyber attack on Australian government agencies and businesses is “not a surprise” and part of “the world that we live in.”
Aged care sector learnings have to extend beyond the pandemic
A panel of experts assembled by Cannings Purple says the aged care sector has navigated COVID-19 as well as could be expected - but there is still significant work to do on the way out of the pandemic.
Making in-house support work post COVID-19
The big story of the past three months has been about disruption — it’s a story that every business, big or small, has shared.
COVID-19: managing the morale of your staff through the pandemic
You may not be able to stop by someone's desk or take them out for a coffee but there are little things we can all do each day to minimise negative feelings and make our co-workers feel more comfortable.
COVID-19: the WA Government’s $1 billion response
Impacted households, small businesses and community groups will all be eligible for assistance under the latest State Government assistance measures.
COVID-19: breaking down the new wage subsidy
The Federal Government says the new subsidy is more generous than that offered in New Zealand and more inclusive than its UK counterpart.
A checklist for leaders to communicate through COVID-19
Leaders must act swiftly, decisively and compassionately if businesses are to keep continuity through and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19: the challenge for schools and the latest economic stimulus measures
In an ever-evolving situation, our schools face some tough questions around how they communicate and when they do it.
COVID-19: getting your tech right in a lockdown
In the past couple of weeks, an incredible number of Australian businesses have responded to the COVID-19 crisis by enabling employees to work either from home or other remote locations. We’ve implemented this at Cannings Purple and many of our clients and referrers are also now working away from the office. But having a desire to work remotely is one thing and doing it effectively is quite another. There are communications challenges that need to be navigated and cyber security questions that need to be answered. There is also the very important issue of what technology you are going to use and
Staying cyber-secure while keeping your social distance
We don't know how long the COVID-19 crisis will last - but there are important cyber security steps we should take while working away from our usual environments.
COVID-19 means we must communicate better than ever
There are crucial differences between communicating in an ‘ordinary’ crisis and communicating in a pandemic.
Jenn Morris joins Cannings Purple
We’re excited to announce the addition of accomplished business leader Jenn Morris OAM to the Cannings Purple team.
Our experts predict the biggest trends of 2020
Cannings Purple experts take a look into the crystal ball and forecast the trends they expect to see emerging in months to come.
Australia’s aged care services – where to from here?
A damning indictment through the Royal Commission's interim report is likely to leave providers across the country wondering what happens next.
Why deep fakes should trigger deep thinking
We’re at an interesting point in our history when it comes to identity manipulation. And the consequences could be alarming.
Cannings Purple up for global PR award
The winners of the global SABRE Awards will be announced in Washington next month.
Disability service providers put on notice by Royal Commission
Many of Australia's biggest disability service providers have been advised they will soon receive formal requests for information - and will need to respond.
Queensland fires show the best of humanity – and importance of planning
Amid the tragedy of properties and bushland lost to firestorms, Queensland's crisis has drawn a touching human response.
Cyber hacked: who ya gonna call?
It's one of the most frightening scenarios facing any business. But where do you start when it comes to putting things right?
Workshops bring Disability Royal Commission a step closer
Now is the time for providers to start preparing for the prospect of appearing before the commission.
Authenticity may not really be what you’re looking for
Recently I was asked to speak in Sydney at the Corporate Affairs Summit, Australasia’s most senior and significant gathering of corporate affairs and communication executives. These events are always a perilous mix of unusual insight (this year a senior leader from tobacco company Philip Morris was the day one keynote speaker) and potential navel-gazing, as 300-plus communications professionals meet in the same room. But the panel I was on was particularly interesting, even if I do say so myself! I was asked to discuss the importance of authenticity in professional communications, especially with regards to large-scale consumer communications. This is a fascinating topic,
Why you should worry about the unhappy two per cent
Telstra chairman John Mullen touched on a variety of issues when he spoke at the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Rottnest Forum recently – covering everything from the attainability and practicalities of work-life balance to the limitations of the minimum wage. But the subject that struck the biggest chord with me was the damage that can be done to a business’ reputation by a small percentage of unhappy customers or stakeholders. As Mullen highlighted, a business doesn’t have to deliberately do something wrong to create significant reputational issues. Equally, the potential damage from that wrongdoing has little to do with whether or
Why 5G could spell trouble for your crisis comms
The ongoing rollout of 5G networks around Australia won’t just make for much faster internet connections on our mobile devices – it is also set to pose an increasingly challenging test of the crisis communications capabilities of businesses and organisations. Speaking at a recent webinar on crisis communications hosted by media monitoring company Meltwater, international communications expert John Bailey said 5G capabilities would supercharge existing trends in our behaviour around disasters and noteworthy public incidents. Bailey, who has extensive experience working with airlines on crises responses, mapped out the evolution of social media around airline emergency situations in recent years. While the crash
We have another royal commission, what happens now?
The royal commission into the abuse of people with disability will be the most expensive in this country’s history, with $527 million budgeted for an inquiry that is expected to run for three years. It will also be Australia’s seventh royal commission in six years, as commissions have become the ‘new normal’ when governments look to address significant issues in society. So, what do you need to know about the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, especially if you are a provider in the sector? What is the scope of the royal commission? Needless to say, with a three-year span, this commission’s scope is
Negotiating the ‘new normal’ of royal commissions
The emergence of royal commissions as “everyday events”, the evolution of a clear commission “template” and the dire perils for businesses and organisations found by a commission to have acted dishonestly – those were some of the key takeaways from a joint event held in Perth by Cannings Purple and leading law firm Gilbert + Tobin. Against the backdrop of an ongoing Aged Care Royal Commission and a Federal Budget allocation of $528 million towards a royal commission into the mistreatment of people with disabilities, a lunchtime audience of business leaders heard from Cannings Purple National Director Karen Brown and G
Why somebody else’s data breach crisis might also be yours
The recent hacking of information from a specialist cardiology unit in Melbourne highlights the importance of being prepared in advance for a data breach – potentially even one that doesn’t belong to you. The January attack “scrambled” the files of some 15,000 patients at the Melbourne Heart Group (MHG) clinic, with a cryptocurrency demand issued for the return of information believed to have been obtained using malware from North Korea or Russia. Some patients’ information was reportedly still missing weeks later and the situation was made even more intriguing by the possible on-flow of reputational damage to a third party: Cabrini Hospital.
What is ‘doxxing’ and what do we have to worry about?
We live in a connected world where our personal information, if not protected properly, is easier to access than it has ever been. Often that access, uninvited as it might be, is harmless enough. But in some instances it crosses the line into the realm of a personal attack, which can be both emotionally and financially harmful. Recently, the perils of ‘doxxing’ have been put under a new spotlight, after an ABC journalist wrote about his experience of being ‘trolled’ en masse. So what exactly is doxxing and why should you be worried about it? Doxxing defined The term is derived from dox, which is an abbreviation of documents. Dropping
‘Old’ news, cyber attacks and shifting cultural plates – seven trends to watch
We live in an ever-changing communications landscape, where the next big trend can go from nowhere-to-be-seen to near ubiquitous in matter of days (or even hours). Against a recent backdrop in which public trust has been tested like never before (from Trump to banking horror stories and Australian cricket disgrace), our experts give their takes on the communication trends they expect to see coming into focus in the near future. Number crunching for the win One of the biggest opportunities – and challenges – for many businesses will be around how they use data and whether it can become a predictive tool for
Five key takeaways from the latest Notifiable Data Breach Scheme stats
An increase in malicious data attacks and more breaches than ever before – those are two of the standout aspects of a new batch of Notifiable Data Breach Scheme statistics revealed by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. The stats, covering 262 data breaches from October 1 through to December 31, mark the fourth quarterly report since the introduction of the scheme in February of last year. They highlight the ever-present prospect of malicious cyber-activity and the ubiquitous risk posed by human error. hbspt.cta.load(2597977, '63a914ce-52b1-4a76-a8f9-112ce0febc21', {}); Here are five key takeaways from the latest quarterly: 1. It was the busiest quarter ever: the
‘Rising torrent’ of concern threatens to swamp aged care providers in bad news
The Aged Care Royal Commission will hear from recipients of aged care and their families at each of its public hearings around the country. For aged care providers this confirms that the next two years may see the industry dealing with a steady stream of bad news stories. The challenge for individual providers will be to maintain the confidence of their clients and other stakeholders while examples of abuse and sub-standard care are continuously brought to public attention. At the Royal Commission’s preliminary hearing in Adelaide, Commissioner Lynelle Briggs AO said there had been a “rising torrent” of concern that the aged