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Chair Media Release Annual Report 15 July 2021

Andrew Penn, Chair of the Australian Government Cyber Security Industry Advisory Committee and Telstra CEO, said that Australia is now under constant cyber attack from criminals and state actors. The number and sophistication of cyber attacks has increased, with Australians losing over $851 million to scams in 2020. Penn stated that both large corporations and small businesses in Australia are being targeted, and that Australia's cyber defenses need to be strengthened through a coordinated national strategy. The Committee's first annual report outlines six focus areas to improve cybersecurity, such as raising public awareness, enhancing cybersecurity capabilities, and fostering international cooperation.

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25 views2 pages

Chair Media Release Annual Report 15 July 2021

Andrew Penn, Chair of the Australian Government Cyber Security Industry Advisory Committee and Telstra CEO, said that Australia is now under constant cyber attack from criminals and state actors. The number and sophistication of cyber attacks has increased, with Australians losing over $851 million to scams in 2020. Penn stated that both large corporations and small businesses in Australia are being targeted, and that Australia's cyber defenses need to be strengthened through a coordinated national strategy. The Committee's first annual report outlines six focus areas to improve cybersecurity, such as raising public awareness, enhancing cybersecurity capabilities, and fostering international cooperation.

Uploaded by

ninad20m
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Cyber Security Industry Advisory Committee

15 July 2021

AUSTRALIA UNDER CONSTANT CYBER ATTACK ANDREW PENN TELLS PRESS CLUB

A significant increase in malicious cyber activity by criminals and state actors mean Australia is now
under constant cyber-attack so governments, businesses and Australians need to act urgently to
protect themselves against cyber threats, Chair of the Australian Government Cyber Security
Industry Advisory Committee and Telstra CEO Andrew Penn said today as he released the
Committee’s first annual report.

Speaking to the National Press Club, Mr Penn said ransomware attacks, gangs selling cybercrime as a
service, increased hacking of business email, and the targeting of global supply chains meant cyber
security had never been more important for Australia’s economic prosperity and national security.

“Malicious cyber activity is happening all of the time. In the last year, the number and sophistication
of attacks has grown with Australians losing more than $851 million in 2020 as scammers use the
pandemic to con people according to the ACCC’s latest Targeting Scams Report,” Mr Penn said.

“Australia faces a complex cybercrime environment that targets everyone from the local fish and
chip shop to ASX200 companies, the local primary school to global COVID vaccine supply chains.”

Mr Penn said it was critical Australia’s cyber defences were strong, flexible and built around a
coordinated framework which was the aim of Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020.

“There has been considerable progress since the Strategy was launched just under a year ago a nd
there needed to be because the environment continues to evolve rapidly and malicious actors are
becoming more sophisticated, more targeted and more brazen.

“The Committee’s first Annual Report updates on our progress and importantly includes six areas of
key focus for the Cyber Security strategy in the coming period to accelerate how we shore up our
cyber defences.”

Raising awareness – most Australians and Australian businesses remain under-prepared for a cyber-
attack and it is crucial more resources are invested in improving the level of knowledge so
Australians can better protect themselves online. There is a need to commit further effort to raise
awareness of threats and mitigations, this could be achieved through a mainstream and social media
campaign, using one voice with a clear and simple call to action.

Continuing to enhance the capabilities of Australia’s Joint Cyber Security Centres – accelerate JCSC
programs which combine business, research and government resources to fight cyber threats
including through threat sharing between industry and governments. Threat sharing is the key to
threat blocking, which is the key to cleaner pipes.

Workplace readiness - As hybrid and remote working becomes widespread, organisations’ cyber
defences need to support increasing home-based workforces. Cyber security literacy and training
should be built into work practices, in the same way that Workplace Health and Safety is now so
both an organisation’s decision-makers and its employees know how to put protections in place.
Cyber Security Industry Advisory Committee

Ransomware - Ransomware attacks are increasing in number and sophistication, and businesses
face tough decisions when they are victims of attacks. To better prepare, clearer advice on the
payment of ransoms and consideration of the merits of cyber insurance regimes all need attention.

Improved evaluation - Developing metrics to assess the effectiveness of these initiatives and the
overall level of maturity of our cyber defences. The bottom line is we need to be able to measure
who is winning and where – the good guys or the bad guys?

Foster international dialogue - It is critical that Australia continues to work closely with like-minded
international nations given vulnerabilities in key supply chains that underpin the digital world such
as rare metals, silicon chip sets and telecommunications radio access technologies such as 5G.

Mr Penn said it was also important to understand how cryptocurrencies were being used to aid
cybercrime as well as how over the longer term, in the wrong hands, supercomputing, advanced
algorithms and AI could crack the encryption used to protect sensitive data, including financial data
the world over.

“At a time when Australia aspires to be a world leading digital economy by 2030, it is a mission that
is more important than ever before.”

Media enquiries:
Jonathan Larkin: +61 477310149

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