Cyber Action Year 2026: 6 Ways to Stay Safe
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month… or at least it used to be. In 2026 the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has launched something bigger and more reflective of good practice in cyber security, Cyber Action Year 2026. Instead of a single month of reminders, organisations are now encouraged to integrate a perpetual state of raising awareness and improving cyber resilience.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) leads the Australian Government’s efforts to improve cyber security. This year, it is urging Australians to adopt an “assumed breach” mindset. In other words, plan for when a breach will happen, not if.
Why Cyber Action Year 2026 Matters Now
Over the last 12 months, threat actors have made significant use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Even when attackers do not use AI to launch an attack, it still helps them enormously. For example, it speeds up research and data collection. As a result, work that once took months to scope out a target now takes only hours.
Consequently, waiting is no longer a safe option.
The 6 Focus Areas of Cyber Action Year 2026
This year, the ASD is concentrating on six key areas to boost cyber resilience.
- Replace or mitigate legacy technologies. Legacy systems must be locked down, even if that means reducing online access or allowing strict business-case use only.
- Implement best practice event logging. Log everything. Ideally, centralise your logs and use analytics to spot trends. This matters because many attacks now appear as behavioural anomalies rather than detectable signatures.
- Choose secure by design products and services. Secure design is the bare minimum for any new digitally connected vendor. Therefore, build it into every due diligence and procurement process.
- Prepare for post-quantum cryptography. Quantum technology will be well and truly in play by 2030. So, begin taking steps toward new encryption technologies now.
- Prepare for AI-enabled cyber threats. These threats do not behave like traditional malware. Phishing emails are now polished and personalised, and the old red flags are far harder to spot.
- Be ready to isolate systems for up to three months. This applies to critical infrastructure entities. Because long-term outages are becoming more likely, start considering if you could operate in isolation for months and still function?
To learn more, visit the ASD Cyber website.
10 Ways to Promote Cyber Security Awareness
Cyber Action Year 2026 is the perfect chance to show your team that cyber security is everyone’s business. Here are 10 practical ideas:
- Plan ahead. Work with People & Culture/HR, Risk Management and Communications to reach as many employees as possible.
- Set the tone from the top. The entire C-suite should embrace cyber security, since good habits start with leadership.
- Review your touch points. Is awareness part of on-boarding? How often do you communicate about cyber risk? Which vendors pose the highest risk?
- Run awareness training. Stress that cyber security matters at work and at home.
- Launch a simulated phishing campaign. Analyse the results, then share a report with all staff.
- Update your plans. Review key elements of your IT Disaster Recovery Plan or Data Breach Incident Response Plan.
- Hold a crisis simulation. With third-party data breaches on the rise, test your Crisis Management Team against one of these risks.
- Brief management. Give leaders a high-level overview of how the Data Breach Incident Response Plan works.
- Make it fun. Try online games and quizzes, such as cyber-themed crosswords and word finds.
- Reward good behaviour. Small gift vouchers are inexpensive, yet always appreciated.
Strengthen Your Cyber Resilience
InConsult is an ACSC partner, and we strongly encourage every organisation to take part in Cyber Action Year 2026. Whether you need help planning awareness training or running phishing campaigns, our team is ready to support you.
Above all, keep cyber security front of mind. Explore InConsult’s Cyber Resilience capabilities, or contact us today to strengthen your security posture.
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