Pause. Probe. Protect: helping SA businesses prevent cybercrime

Posted on 16/02/2026

Crime Stoppers South Australia and OpSys have launched a new cyber resilience campaign encouraging South Australian businesses to strengthen cyber safety by focusing on people, workplace culture and early action – not just technology.

The Pause. Probe. Protect campaign builds on previous cybercrime awareness efforts by shifting the conversation from recognising scams to creating environments where staff feel confident to slow down, ask questions and speak up early when something doesn’t feel right.

Crime Stoppers South Australia CEO, Nigel Smart, said that while awareness of cyber scams has increased in recent years, many incidents continue to succeed because of everyday human pressures.

“Most cyber incidents don’t begin with a technical failure – they begin with a human moment,” Mr Smart said.

“Someone is busy, something feels urgent or familiar, and they don’t feel confident questioning it. This campaign is about changing what happens in that specific moment in time.”

The Pause. Probe. Protect campaign follows a highly successful cybercrime awareness initiative delivered by Crime Stoppers SA and OpSys in 2024, which reached more than 93,000 South Australians and generated thousands of engagements across social and professional platforms.

Insights from that campaign revealed strong community concern about cybercrime, alongside widespread discussion, frustration and uncertainty about responsibility, prevention and reporting.

“Businesses told us they understood the risk, but many weren’t sure who should act, when to act, or how to raise concerns safely,” Mr Smart said.

“This campaign is the next step – helping organisations turn awareness into everyday behaviours that reduce harm.”

The campaign encourages three simple, practical actions:

• Pause when requests feel urgent, unexpected or outside normal process
• Probe by asking questions, verifying details and raising uncertainty – even without proof
• Protect by acting early and sharing patterns that could affect others

OpSys Managing Director, Matthew Fabri, said the campaign reflects a broader shift in cyber security thinking, recognising that strong systems alone are not enough without supportive culture and leadership.

“Cyber resilience isn’t something you install – it’s something you build into how people work every day,” Mr Fabri said.

“When leaders make it safe to question requests, verify changes and escalate concerns, risks are identified earlier and serious incidents are avoided.”

The campaign also highlights the growing threat of impersonation and identity-based scams, where criminals pose as trusted suppliers, colleagues or organisations to exploit routine business processes.

“Impersonation scams often look professional and familiar,” Mr Fabri said.

“They rely on trust, authority and urgency rather than obvious warning signs. That’s why culture and behaviour are such important lines of defence.”

The campaign also encourages businesses to recognise the value of near-misses – situations where something felt wrong and was caught before damage was done.

“You don’t need a confirmed loss for information to be useful. Near-misses and patterns help build a clearer picture of emerging threats and can prevent harm beyond a single business,” Mr Fabri said.

Crime Stoppers SA and OpSys have developed practical resources to support SA businesses in building stronger cyber cultures, including guidance on speaking up early, verifying requests and responding constructively when staff raise concerns.

Anyone who notices suspicious behaviour, impersonation attempts or patterns that could affect others can report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers SA on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestopperssa.com.au

“Cybercrime thrives on silence. Pause. Probe. Protect is about breaking that silence – calmly, confidently and early,” Mr Smart said.

Check out the campaign page here.

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