14/04/2026
π¨ Aussie small business owners β this one's important.
That 6-digit SMS code you get when you log into your email or accounting software?
Hackers can steal it in seconds. And thousands of Australian businesses are finding this out the hard way.
Here's how it works in plain English π
A cybercriminal gets hold of your password (easier than you think β AI now writes perfect phishing emails with no spelling mistakes). Then they either:
π² Call your phone company, pretend to be you, and get your number transferred to their phone. Your SMS code goes straight to them.
OR
π€ Bombard your phone with 20 approval requests at 11pm until you tap "Yes" just to make it stop. Boom β they're in.
Once they're inside your Microsoft 365 or Gmail, they can read your emails, impersonate you to clients, redirect payments, and steal customer data.
The average cost to an Aussie small business after a cyber attack? $56,600.
(Source: Australian Cyber Security Centre, 2024β25 Annual Report)
The fix costs $0 and takes about an hour.
Switch to one of these instead of SMS:
β
Microsoft or Google Authenticator app β free, works offline, SMS-proof
β
Passkeys β uses your face or fingerprint, can't be stolen
β
Hardware security key β a USB stick that proves it's really you
Not sure if your setup is secure? We offer a free Cyber Health Check for Australian small businesses β we'll check exactly what you have in place and fix any gaps. No jargon, no lock-in, done in one session.
π Comment "CHECK" below and we'll reach out, or send us a DM.
Share this with a business owner who's still using SMS codes β you might just save them $56K. π