The recent Federal Budget 2023-24 recognises the importance of investing in cybersecurity and privacy measures to strengthen Australia’s sovereignty and security in the region. By prioritising these investments, it’s possible to build a safer and more resilient Australia for the future.
Peter Jennings, Fortinet Public Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) member and former executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), said, “The Albanese government has recorded the first budget surplus in 15 years and, though a welcome surprise, it’s not expected to last and will be followed by a deficit of AU$13.9 billion in 2023-2024. Nonetheless, in response to the increasing threat of cyber crime, the Australian government has acknowledged the critical significance of cybersecurity.”
Investing in cybersecurity
To guarantee that the nation’s cybersecurity initiatives are strategic, coordinated, and timely, the government has committed AU$46.5 million over four years to establish a cybersecurity coordinator, as previously announced in February.
Additionally, AU$23.4 million will be invested over three years to help small businesses build their resilience to cyberattacks by training over 50,000 “in-house cyber wardens.” This measure will help mitigate and reduce the impact a cyberattack has on a small business.
The government has also committed AU$86 million to create a National Anti-Scam Centre (set to open in July 2023) to help combat scams and online fraud, after the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed that 13.2 million Australians were exposed to scams in 2021-2022, up 55 per cent in the previous year. It will also set up the country’s first SMS Sender ID Registry, intended to make it harder for scammers to imitate established key industry or government brand names such as Linkt or myGov.
The Defence Strategic Review 2023
Prior to the Albanese government’s May budget, the Australian government released its Defence Strategic Review 2023 in April 2023, which acts as a blueprint for Australia’s strategic policy, defence planning, and resourcing over the coming decades.
The review made multiple recommendations for strengthening Australia’s cybersecurity posture, including investing in cybersecurity capabilities (such as personnel and technology), improving cyber awareness and education, enhancing cooperation between government, industry, and the community, and developing a whole-of-government approach to cybersecurity.
Peter Jennings said, “On the one hand the review recommends that ‘Defence funding should be increased to meet our strategic circumstances’; however, it also acknowledges that there will be no new money in the forward estimates and only the promise of budget growth in the out years.”
AUKUS to transform Australia’s sovereign defence capabilities
The AUKUS announcement in March 2023 revealed the Australian “pathway” towards nuclear propulsion for submarines. AUKUS has the potential for focused cooperation in developing military technology involving hypersonic platforms, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), quantum computing, undersea technology, and cybersecurity.
Peter Jennings said, “For Australian businesses in national security looking to play a part in AUKUS, QUAD, and indeed any defence capability area, the message couldn’t be clearer: being AUKUS-ready means being cyber secure.
“In particular, it means being able to extend cybersecurity across multiple international jurisdictions. Trust between international partners allows closer cooperation. In the cyber world, trust needs to be underpinned by the assurance that comes from the strongest possible cybersecurity systems and processes.”
Shaping the future of Australia’s digital landscape
At the end of February 2023, the Australian government released a discussion paper to inform the development of a 2023-2030 Cyber Security Strategy. Public submissions were sought until April 2023 to inform developing a strategy that aims to make Australia “the most cyber secure nation by 2030.”
The Strategy has now seen over 280 submissions received, making it clear that strengthening Australia’s cybersecurity is a fundamental priority that requires a joint effort from the public and private sectors.
As the next stage of consultation commences, it’s important to understand what the Strategy is trying to address. For more information on the core policy areas that will likely be included in the final strategy, visit: https://global.fortinet.com/apac-lp-anz-cyber-security-strategy
