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Four people killed on NSW roads in horror start to long weekend
Four people have died in a horror start to the long weekend on New South Wales roads.
One was a 10-year-old boy, killed in a crash in the states Hunter region this morning, after a car reportedly left a roadway and hit a tree.
Paramedics rushed to the crash at Flaggs Road in Merriwa and took the driver to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition.
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A second passenger was taken to the same hospital in a stable condition.
Meanwhile three pedestrians died within 45 minutes of each other after being hit by cars in Claremont Meadows, Penrith and Murrumbateman.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Trent King said it was a devastating start to the long weekend.
"Long weekends are a time for families and friends to spend together, not be told that their loved one has been killed in an incident on our roads," King said.
"I implore both road users and pedestrians to stay alert, pay attention and be aware of their surroundings at all times.
"The predicted weather for the weekend requires additional caution to be taken, so please drive with care, for the sake of all road users".
The horror Friday night began when emergency services were called to Sunflower Drive, Claremont Meadows, after a man was hit by a Daihatsu sedan around 6.15pm.
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The 80-year-old was treated at the scene by witnesses and paramedics but died.
The driver, a 24-year-old man, was taken to Nepean Hospital for mandatory testing.
Emergency services also attended Barton Highway, Murrumbateman, around 6.30pm after a woman was hit by a Mitsubishi Triton ute.
The 83-year-old was treated at the scene by witnesses but died at the scene.
The driver, a 25-year-old man, was taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
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Then around 7pm, emergency services were called to Castlereagh Road, Penrith, after a man was hit by a Mazda BT-50 ute.
The 32-year-old was also treated at the scene by witnesses, paramedics and police but died.
The 43-year-old male driver was taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
Crime scenes were established at all three scenes and police are investigating the circumstances of the incidents.
Reports on the three accidents will be prepared for the Coroner.
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Victoria Police said officers are currently at Mill Park Soccer Club on Partridge Street in Lalor after a "suspicous package" was found.
"The area has been cordoned off as safety checks are underway," police said.
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Optus criticised for not taking cyber security 'seriously enough'
The recent Optus cyber attack has raised questions amongst tech experts about data security and how prepared the telco was for the hack.
Creator of website Have I Been Pwned Troy Hunt claims Optus had not invested enough in their cyber security systems prior to the attack leaving millions of customers vulnerable.
"You can only assume they didn't invest enough in their defences," he said.
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"There was such a simple attack, they clearly didn't invest enough and take it seriously enough."
Hunt said it is now a waiting game to hear from the telco's bosses about how the attack happened.
IT specialist Win-Li Toh said it isn't about a blame game rather there is a shortage of qualified people to defend Australia's cyber security.
"I think it is a temptation to simplify the issue down to who's to blame," she said.
"Our research shows 30,000 qualified people over the next four years are needed to keep our nation safe but there's only 1300 coming out of tertiary education."
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Concerns more customers at risk
During the attack, the hacker publicly compromised the personal data of 10,000 Optus customers. Hunt says other customers' data may still be at risk of exposure.
"We know they had no scruples about dumping more than 10,000 records publicly and intended to keep doing so in order to get a ransom reward on the data," he said.
"I wouldn't have much confidence at all that they haven't retained more of the data and will do something about it in the future."
'This thing is more prevalent than Optus'
Toh said cyber attacks are more prevalent in Australia than many people realise.
"In Australia, there's an attack every eight minutes reported to the government," she said.
"Last year there were $33 billion of total reported losses from cyber crime in Australia. That's 13 per cent up on the previous year and rising."
Toh said cyber attacks go beyond the recent attack on Optus and are far "bigger".
"I'm not trying to scare people but I think the issue is a lot bigger than Optus," she said.
What can be done to stop it in the future?
Toh said that comprehensive data protection comes down to individual responsibility and companies taking cyber insurance.
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"The first lines of defence are individuals taking responsibility in the first place for basic cyber hygiene," she said.
"So it's like putting in place technology and firewalls, and people, training the people not to take on phishing attacks.
"Then the second line of defence is taking out cyber insurance. Very few companies, only 20 per cent of small companies and 7 per cent of large companies take out cyber insurance. I think of it a little bit like house insurance."
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