One of the reasons I’m having lunch with 500 strangers is because I want to learn new things.

My 20th lunch companion, Sandro Hogan, taught me a lot of new things – about cybersecurity.

Sandro, who owns IT Awareness, knows cybersecurity inside out.

His company protects clients from attacks from all over the world. Most originate in America, Russia and China, he says. They’re often unsophisticated phishing attacks, but because they’re automated and sent to masses of people, the criminals can cash in even if their strike rate is low.

Many business owners are ignorant of Privacy Act regulations, introduced in 2017 and 2018, that oblige them to adopt certain protocols regarding clients’ data. I was also ignorant, until I met Sandro.

As the ‘internet of things’ explodes in the next few years, so will hacking, Sandro says, because many of these new devices will have low levels of security.

By the way, there’s a lot more to Sandro than just cybersecurity. He’s also smart, insightful and has a great sense of humour.