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Australia to get Cyber Defence Command

25 Nov 2009

A new emergency response team to deal with cyber attacks, to be named CERT Australia, will start up in January 2010 as part of the Federal Government’s new strategy for cyber security.

The Cyber Security Strategy formalises the roles, responsibilities and policies of Australian intelligence, cyber and policing agencies to protect Australian internet users against threats ranging from identity theft to full scale assault on the nation’s information systems.

“Our Cyber Security Strategy details Australian Government arrangements to defend economic institutions, critical infrastructure, government agencies, businesses and home users from cyber threats,” the Attorney General, Mr Robert McClelland, said.

“CERT Australia will work with other national CERTs around the world, the IT industry and Australian internet service providers to help network operators to identify and respond to cyber security incidents.”

The new team will work with the Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) set up as part of the Defence White Paper earlier in the year.

It will also work with the existing organisation AusCERT, the independent, not-for-profit cyber security organisation based at The University of Queensland.

As part of the recommendations of last year’s E-Security Review, the Federal Government said it would allocate more than $100 million over thenext four years to protect the nation’s cyber borders. 

Some $8.8 million of this was allocated in May this year to the establishment of CERT Australia.

“The Cyber Security Operations Centre provides the Australian Government with cyber situational awareness and the ability to facilitate operational responses to cyber security incidents of national importance,” the Minister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner, said.

He said the Strategy also emphasises the importance of providing everyday Internet users with cyber security information and tools to help protect their identities, privacy and finances online.

To this end, a new identity theft information booklet, Protecting Your Identity, was also launched alongside CERT Australia.

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, welcomed the new cyber security strategy.

“Ensuring consumers and businesses have confidence in online systems will be essential for Australia to reap the full benefits of the digital economy,” Senator Conroy said.

“This strategy will help to make sure that people understand the simple things they can do to stay smart online and become empowered participants in the online environment.”

Learn more about online security at the CeBIT Security World Exhibition.

Learn more about public sector ICT solutions at CeBIT’s Government Technology Expo.
 

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• Robert McClelland
• national security
• John Faulkner
• IT security
• Department of Defence
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• cyber secdurity
• CERT Australia
• AusCERT
• Attorney General

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