Australian Cyber Attacks and the Need for Cyber Spies
Brief:
The Federal Government wants to recruit up to 500 "cyber spies" to combat attacks on Australian computer networks.
The new cyber strategy will see one-point-three-five billion dollars spent over the next decade to identify cyber threats and protect more Australians.
The move follows the cyber attack on a wide range of political and private organisations in Australia earlier this month ... an attack the prime minister said had been carried out by a "sophisticated state-based cyber-actor".
Main Questions Asked:
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how much of a threat have cyber attacks become?
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what initiatives would such a strategy include?
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the prime minister didn't name any suspects for that attack on June 19 .. but it was widely accepted he was pointing the finger at China
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how will this be viewed by China - could it be regarded as a message to Beijing?
Katina’s Notes:
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Cyber attacks are increasing in frequency and scale
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Cyber attacks can compromise business and government, but citizens also suffer
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The last 9months has seen a spate of hack attempts- successful and unsuccessful
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defense and law enforcement agencies
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transportation and health
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sporting clubs and associations (Australia wide)
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logistics and supply chain companies
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manufacturers
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banks and government agencies.
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Inclusive in this long list are: My Health Record, Service NSW, ACU, ANU, Optus, Facebook, Instagram, Department of Defense, WA Police, Whats App, AFL Australia, Hospitals, Toll Group, TAFE, Qld Health, Department of Parliamentary Services, Surf Life Saving Australia, NSW Labour, Victorian Hospitals, BlueScope Steel, Chubb, Amazon Ring etc.
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Initiatives might include:
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higher education training- security ready students
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R&D
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innovation hubs
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retraining and upskilling
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blocking the purchase of o/seas products (though I would personally vouch for more independent assessment and scrutiny)
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raising awareness for medium size and large business in terms of security
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working with counterpart Five Eyes nations to share attack data and mechanisms
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create centers of excellence to tackle these issues particularly with emphasis to AI
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Not just about succumbing to attack via conventional means like social engineering, password hacks via brute force, and phishing attacks but greater security considerations
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Australia’s got to follow NIST-style standards
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Mimic abroad initiatives to raise public awareness and draw talented researchers to the field
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e.g. National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) in the USA
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Citizen-centric security labs to raise education of every day citizens to protect themselves
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Shamla Naidoo, IBM CISO Global Chief Information Security Officer says answer is in Public Interest Technology
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Thinking outside the square
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Interdisciplinary skillsets needed
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Who really knows who the Australian Government was talking about- the war is not against state or non-state actors, it is about defeating machines spreading malicious code and algorithms of attack
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China is focused on a national AI strategy which incorporates security
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Australia has to follow suit to maintain economic global ability
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Economic power comes from Cyber in terms of ebusiness
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Source: Katina Michael with Sandy Aloisi, 29 June 2020, “Australian Cyber Attacks and the Need for Cyber Spies”, ABC Sydney: Radio, https://www.abc.net.au/radio/sydney/programs/breakfast/breakfast/12387974
Other resources:
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https://www.webberinsurance.com.au/data-breaches-list