The Australian Government will review Australia’s cyber-security strategy to better protect Australia’s networks from cyber attack.
The review, to report within six months, will explore how industry and the government can work together to make our online systems more resilient against attacks.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet will lead the Cyber Security Review assisted by a panel of experts including the CEO of the Business Council of Australia, Ms Jennifer Westacott; Chief Security and Trust Officer at Cisco Systems in the United States, Mr John Stewart; Mr Mike Burgess, Chief Information Security Officer at Telstra and Dr Tobias Feakin, Director of the International Cyber Policy Centre at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
This review will look for practical ways to improve our national security and work with business to make online commerce more secure.
The Review will:
- assess the risk of cyber attacks in the public and private sectors with a view to making our online systems more resilient to attack;
- examine how government and industry can better work together to reduce the risk of cyber attacks;
- assess how Government protects its networks and information; and
- work to ensure we are one step ahead of the threats to government networks and critical infrastructure.
By 2017, more than nine out of ten Australians will be routinely online and Australian businesses and consumers benefit from the opportunities an interconnected world delivers. However, there are also risks.
Australia faces real and growing cyber threats. Last year alone, the Australian Signals Directorate responded to 940 cyber incidents involving Government agencies, a 37 per cent increase on the previous year.
The risks are also very real for the private sector. The direct cost of cyber-crime to Australia in the past 12 months is estimated to be more than $1 billion.
As well, the Australian Cyber Security Centre opened in Canberra today.
The Centre brings together the operational agencies that help secure cyberspace into one location: the Australian Crime Commission, the Australian Federal Police, the cyber elements of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the Australian Signals Directorate and the Attorney-General’s Department Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Australia.
The Centre will build an understanding of the threats we face and help our security agencies respond more quickly and effectively to the growing problem of cyber attacks.
27 November 2014