Cyber-Hygiene, Malware Removal & Security Services
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Malware removal, phishing cleanup, password and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) hardening, endpoint protection rollout, and employee security training. Real cyber-hygiene from Australian technicians — not scare tactics, not vapourware, not locked-in enterprise software nobody needs.
Call 1300 723 628 Book online → Get a Quick Quote →
🛡 25+ years in Australian IT
⚡ Same-day metro response
🤝 Real Australian technicians
✅ No-fix-no-fee diagnostic
Why we do cybersecurity differently
Most IT firms sell cybersecurity like a terror alert — paint you a picture of ruin, then sell you a $15,000 subscription to the solution. We do it like plumbers: your systems either work or they don’t, the risks are real but quantifiable, and the fix is almost always simpler and cheaper than the sales pitch suggests.
Experience
Two decades of malware, ransomware, and breach response across thousands of Australian businesses — from sole-trader accounts swept by a phishing click through to mid-sized firms hit by targeted ransomware.
Expertise
Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) ACSC’s Essential Eight cybersecurity baseline (Essential Eight) implementation. Microsoft Defender / Intune. Endpoint detection & response (Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)) platforms. Domain Name System (DNS) filtering. Password manager rollouts. Phishing simulation programs. Dark-web monitoring for credentials.
Authority
ACSC Essential Eight aligned implementation partner. Published tech commentary for ABC News on malware, phishing, and privacy. Member of the Australian Information Industry Association.
Trust
We never pay ransoms. We publish our pricing. We won’t sell you enterprise software your business doesn’t need. Fixed-price cleanup, hourly for hardening, written report every time.
Cybersecurity services we provide
Malware & ransomware removal
Full system cleanup, not just an antivirus scan. We identify the entry point, remove the threat, confirm it’s gone, and harden the system so the same thing doesn’t happen next week.
Phishing & account compromise
If someone clicked a bad link and now ‘something’s happening’ — we triage, lock out the attacker, rotate credentials, check for downstream compromise, and notify parties that need to know.
MFA rollout
Proper MFA on every account that matters — Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, banking, accounting, cloud console. SMS MFA only as a fallback; we prefer TOTP or passkeys.
Endpoint protection
EDR tooling rollout across your PCs and Macs. Managed cloud console, monthly incident review, response playbooks. We recommend Microsoft Defender for Business for most clients because it’s capable, fair-priced, and already licensed in most M365 plans.
Password manager rollouts
1Password or Bitwarden deployed to every staff member with shared-vault separation, policies, and basic training. The single biggest security improvement most businesses can make.
Phishing simulation & training
Monthly simulated phishing campaigns with transparent reporting. Staff who click get micro-training — not public shaming. Measurable improvement in 90 days.
Cybersecurity pricing
Clean-up and hardening priced separately so you know what you’re paying for.
- Malware / virus removal (remote): from $180 + GST. Fixed price for common infections.
- Malware removal (on-site): from $280 + GST. Usually 1.5–3 hours.
- Ransomware incident response: hourly, with a capped-cost triage option from $880 + GST.
- MFA rollout: from $28 + GST per user (one-off setup). Sub-10-user businesses often completed under $220 all-in.
- Endpoint protection setup: from $89 + GST per endpoint one-off + monthly licence fee.
- Password manager rollout (per business): from $580 + GST for initial setup + training + shared vault design.
- Phishing simulation program: from $9 + GST per user per month + $480 setup.
All prices exclude GST. Written quotes provided before any work. No-fix-no-fee guarantee on diagnostic work.
How a cyber-hygiene engagement works
- Quick assessment. Free 30-minute call to understand your current posture and the incident or risk you’re concerned about.
- Triage (if active incident). If malware is running right now, we start cleanup on a clock. Lock down accounts, isolate machines, contain spread.
- Harden. Fix the root cause — typically weak passwords, missing MFA, unpatched systems, or user training. We don’t just delete the symptom.
- Report. Written incident report with what we found, what we did, and what’s still recommended. Suitable for insurers, boards, and compliance audits.
You get an email from "MyGov Security Team" asking you to verify your account or it will be suspended within 24 hours. There's a big blue "Verify Now" button.
Verdict: Scam
Real MyGov emails never ask you to verify via a link and never threaten account suspension. Type mygov.gov.au directly into your browser if you need to check. The 'Verify Now' button goes to a phishing clone that harvests your credentials.
What makes us different:
- No ransom payments. Ever. We’ll never recommend paying one, and we’ve never paid one on a client’s behalf.
- Pragmatic, not paranoid. We right-size security to your business. A 4-person accounting firm doesn’t need a Security Operations Centre (SOC).
- Microsoft-first where it makes sense. If you’re already paying for M365 Business Premium, you probably already own security tools you haven’t turned on. We turn them on first.
Cybersecurity & malware FAQs
I clicked a phishing link — what do I do?
Do not panic. Do not enter more credentials. Change your password now from a different device. Log out of every active session (Microsoft 365: ‘sign out everywhere’). Call us. We’ll walk you through cleanup.
Is it worth paying the ransom?
No. Ransom payments fund the criminal economy, don’t guarantee data return (around 1 in 3 paying victims still lose data), and mark you as a willing payer for future attacks. Proper backup and planning beat ransom payment every time.
What antivirus should I use?
Microsoft Defender for Business (included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium) is excellent for most Australian small businesses. For additional detection and response we add an EDR layer. For home users, Windows Security (built-in Defender) is enough if you’re doing the other basics right.
How much of a risk is phishing really?
Phishing is the entry point for about 90% of real-world business compromises we see. Staff training + MFA + an email security layer (DMARC, SPF, DKIM configured correctly) will block almost all of it.
Do you provide security for compliance requirements?
Yes. We align implementations to ACSC Essential Eight and can support industry-specific standards including ISO/IEC 27001 information-security management standard (ISO 27001), Service Organization Control 2 audit (SOC 2), Australian Prudential Regulation Authority — Prudential Standard CPS 234 (APRA CPS 234), and medical Practice Incentive Program security baseline.
Can you help a home user with malware too?
Yes. Home users are about 30% of our malware work. Same approach, just smaller scope — usually a single remote session under $200.
Free resources
A curated list of free Australian resources we recommend to every client — no affiliate links, no referral commissions, just genuinely useful things we hand out over and over again.
♻️ Free e-waste and old computer recycling
- TechCollect — free drop-off for computers, printers, and accessories at 100+ sites nationally.
- Officeworks Bring It Back — most electronics, plus toner cartridges and batteries. In every store.
- MobileMuster — free mobile phone recycling at Australia Post, Officeworks, Optus, and Telstra.
- B-cycle — free battery recycling (household, laptop, power tool) at over 4,000 locations.
We can also arrange secure wipe + certified destruction of drives before recycling — ask for quote.
🛡️ Report a scam, fraud, or cybercrime
- Scamwatch (ACCC) — national scam reporting. Helps warn other Australians.
- ReportCyber (ACSC) — for cybercrime reports: hacking, ransomware, account compromise.
- IDCARE — free identity and cyber support (1800 595 160) for individuals and small businesses.
- Have I Been Pwned — free check if your email or password has been in a known breach.
🔐 Free password managers
- Bitwarden — free tier covers unlimited devices, open-source, trusted by security pros.
- Proton Pass — free tier from the Proton (Switzerland) team, also open-source.
- KeePass — offline, file-based, rock solid for technical users.
Need help rolling one out for your whole family or team? See our cybersecurity service →
📡 Free National Broadband Network (NBN) speed test & status
- Our NBN Speed Test & Report — free, three tests per day, generates a detailed report you can email to your provider. Our recommended starting point.
- Speedtest by Ookla — run from a computer wired to your router, peak + off-peak, 3 runs each.
- fast.com — Netflix’s tester. Great cross-check against Speedtest.
- NBN Co address check — confirm your technology type (Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), Fibre to the Node (FTTN), Fibre to the Curb (FTTC), Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC), FW, Sat).
- ACCC Broadband Speeds report — independent data on which RSPs actually deliver their advertised speeds.
💾 Free backup and data tools
- Windows: Built-in File History + Windows Backup. If you have Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, OneDrive already includes 1 TB — turn it on.
- Mac: Time Machine + any external Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive. Set and forget.
- Cloud: Backblaze ($7 USD/month unlimited), Proton Drive (5 GB free), IDrive (10 GB free).
- Disk imaging: Macrium Reflect Free (Windows). Creates a bootable full-disk image.
Small business with more than 5 users? See our managed backup service →
🧰 Free software alternatives to expensive tools
- Office: LibreOffice, OnlyOffice, or Google Docs.
- PDF editing: Smallpdf, iLovePDF (free tiers cover most tasks).
- Photo editing: GIMP, Photopea (browser-based Photoshop clone).
- Video editing: DaVinci Resolve free version rivals paid editors.
- Antivirus: Windows Security (built into Windows) is plenty for most home users. No need to pay Norton / McAfee.
📞 Australian tech support hotlines — the real ones
- NBN Co: 1800 687 626 (residential) — but call your Retail Service Provider (RSP) first, not NBN Co directly.
- myGov Help Desk: 132 307 (account and login issues).
- Australian Taxation Office (ATO) scam hotline: 1800 008 540.
- Identity & Cyber Support Service (1800 595 160) (IDCARE): 1800 595 160 — free identity theft support.
- The Original PC Doctor: 1300 723 628 — for everything else.
If someone claiming to be from Microsoft, Telstra, or the ATO calls you first, it’s a scam. Hang up and call the real number back.
Related services we handle
We cover a wide range of related requests — including malware removal, virus removal, ransomware recovery, phishing cleanup, cybersecurity services, computer security near me, and spyware removal. Whatever you searched to find this page, we can almost certainly help. Book an on-site visit or call us to check.
Hit by malware or worried about security?
Call now — we triage fast, clean thoroughly, and harden so it doesn’t recur.
1300 723 628 Book online → Get a Quick Quote →
25+ years · Real Australian technicians · No lock-in contracts
