Defence Minister Marise Payne has said 400 Australian companies were potentially targeted over the past year in Russian state-sponsored cyber attacks.

The US, UK and Australia allege the state-sponsored hackers took over commercial routers and affected machinery.

Ross Greenwood speaks with Steve Ingram, Asia Pacific Cyber leader at PwC who says cyber attacks “need to be taken very seriously”.

“There’re some simple rules, bit like the old slip, slop and slap.

“If people patch up, if they back up, if they lock up.

“You’re not foolproof, but you’re in a much better shape than if you’re just thinking it won’t happen to me.”

Listen to the full interview below