As the keynote speaker for the upcoming Campaspe Murray Business Connect event, Mr Treptel will recount his journey and discuss the latest trends and threats emerging in the cyber landscape.
While many assume hackers mainly target large companies, Mr Treptel said rural and regional communities were equally at risk.
“Hackers are absolutely going after rural (businesses),” he said.
“That's one of the big things, that Australians kind of have that bad attitude, ‘that won't happen to me’. Rural is getting hit just as hard as city.
“It really is for anyone, so whether you’re in farming, whether you own a local business or whether you’re just an individual that works for an organisation that wants to find out how you’re being targeted.”
As a teenager, Mr Treptel hacked into the Commonwealth Bank and managed to steal 40,000 credit cards.
Today, he travels the world meeting hackers who target Australian businesses and studying the tools they use.
Through his presentation, he will reveal how these hackers operate and the methods behind their attacks.
With so many advancements happening in the cyberworld, he will also explore current trends such as AI and robotics, and what they mean for organisations.
Mr Treptel said throughout his address, he would teach people how to think like a hacker to protect themselves against cyberattacks.
“On the night, I’m going to teach you how to think like a hacker and once you can think like a hacker, you can protect yourself a bit better,” he said.
“I want people to see what’s out there because I get exposed to it every day and I see people going about their daily lives and think ‘oh my god, you’re a sitting duck’.
“It’s going to be entertaining and fun, it’s not a normal cyber talk. You’ll get a lot out of it, whether it’s just the stories ... or whether you want to learn how to grow or protect your business — come along.”
The event will be held on Thursday, October 23 at the Moama Bowling Club from 5.30pm to 9pm.
To purchase a ticket, visit tinyurl.com/ywxp7atc
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