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The Commonwealth government has officially launched the nation’s new Cyber Security Centre in Canberra, which aims to boost the nation’s defensive and offensive cyber capabilities.
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The new Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) will draw on the expertise from the ICT community, law enforcement, defence, universities and security agencies, as well as international partners, to increase the skills and capabilities needed to protect and defend Australia’s interests.
It will be the central hub for cyber security information, advice and assistance to all Australians. A global monitoring capability, equipped with advanced cyber threat detection and warning systems will help to keep Australians safe 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that the growing prevalence of cyber crime and targeted cyber warfare attacks on critical infrastructure and services, and intellectual property theft by individual hackers and state based actors, particularly Russia, Iran, China and North Korea, was the driving force behind the development of the National Cyber Security Strategy and these capabilities.
"Since the release of the 2016 Cyber Security Strategy, the cyber threat landscape has shifted and evolved dramatically. I want to take this opportunity today to update and inform all Australians on the magnitude of the threat we face and the government's response," the Prime Minister said.
The ACSC forms a critical hub for the Joint Cyber Security Centres located in all capital cities, which facilitate stronger partnerships between more than 150 organisations across private and public sectors.
The ACSC will deliver on the government’s cyber security priorities, in three critically important areas:
- Provide cyber security advice and assistance to businesses and the community;
- Prevent and disrupt offshore cyber-enabled crime; and
- Protect the specialised tools the Australian Signals Directorate uses to fulfil its functions.
The ACSC will also develop a new digital platform – cyber.gov.au – giving Australians a coordinated end-to-end advice reporting and response capability. This source of cyber security will be more interactive than current sites, particularly when lodging reports of an incident or a scam.
The new cyber.gov.au website will replace a number of government cyber security websites and services, including ACORN and acsc.gov.au. This will provide businesses and individuals with one single place to report cyber crime and find advice on cyber security practices.
The Prime Minister made his message clear to those who threatened Australian industry, business and communities: "The cyber sphere cannot be a lawless zone. The rule of law must apply there, as it does offline. We must ensure that we use all of our ingenuity, all of our innovation, all of our ability to collaborate with others to ensure that we keep Australians safe online and this centre is a very bold step towards achieving that goal."
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
