Top US China specialist Peter Mattis announced as ASPI distinguished fellow

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The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) is pleased to announce Peter Mattis – Research Fellow in China Studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation – as a distinguished ASPI fellow for 2019.

Peter will be spending the next month at ASPI working with the Institute’s different China specialists on a range of research projects.

Peter will also be a keynote speaker at ASPI’s inaugural China masterclass being held on 15 April in Canberra (almost sold out) and 17 April in Melbourne (tickets still available).

Executive Director Peter Jennings says: “ASPI is delighted to attract someone of Peter’s analytical calibre to spend a full month at our institute. Peter has made an enormous contribution to building the world’s knowledge of how the Chinese Communist Party, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and China’s intelligence systems operate – both at home and around the world. Peter’s work spans across a broad range of topics, from better understanding PLA activity in cyberspace, to Chinese party-state influence operations, espionage and military modernisation. ASPI is looking forward to hosting Peter so that he can continue some of this important work over the next month”

Peter was formerly a Fellow in the China Program at The Jamestown Foundation where he edited China Brief and was an international affairs analyst for the US Government. He received his M.A. in Security Studies from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and earned his B.A. in Political Science and Asian Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle. He also previously worked as a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Asian Research in its Strategic Asia and Northeast Asian Studies programs.

Peter is in Australia from now until 18 April. For media enquiries please contact reneejones@aspi.org.au / 0400 424 323

Building a Safer Internet – Advocate, Validate, Educate

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5 February is Safer Internet Day, a global initiative in some 140 countries to raise awareness of emerging online issues. At ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre we are pleased to support this initiative.

A safer internet is at the core of what we do. We engage with international and national media on unfolding incidents, events and developments. We regularly organise public events on pressing issues in the online environment that shape strategic policy direction. And we have become very active in the area of capacity-building and exercises: in the Asia-Pacific region and in Australia.

On the occasion of Safer Internet Day 2019, ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre is introducing a 3-year project that looks at improving the security of the Australian internet through the adoption of international security standards. These standards are technical means to ensure a secure exchange of information over the Internet. Adoption is voluntary and non-binding and is reliant on goodwill and incentives.

“The Internet Society (ISOC) promotes an open, globally-connected, secure and trustworthy Internet. The use of open standards developed by open processes such as that of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the premier Internet standards body, plays an important role in achieving this. We welcome initiatives such as these which take a multi-stakeholder approach and aim to strengthen everyday users’ ability to be safe and secure online”, said Rajnesh Singh, Chief, Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau at the Internet Society.

With support from auDA, the policy authority and self-regulatory body for the .au domain space, the International Cyber Policy Centre will develop a public test tool. This tool will validate websites, email accounts and connections against standards that are considered international good practice.

Cameron Boardman, CEO of auDA said: “We are really excited about this cooperation with ASPI. It allows us to build bridges between strategic policy makers, businesses and end-users, and our stakeholders – domain name registrars and operators in the IT industry”.

This initiative draws on examples that International Cyber Policy Centre experts have observed elsewhere and from the Centre’s membership of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise.

“This initiative by ASPI is a great example of expertise and experience being shared across the global community. The GFCE Internet Infrastructure Initiative aims to share global good practices making best use of state-of-the-art global open internet standards, with support from the Internet.nl portal”, says Maarten Botterman, GFCE project leader.

A safe internet is a community-wide and multi-stakeholder effort. Whether its government, industry, the tech community, civil society or the user-consumer, we all have our own rights and duties. This project will enhance opportunities for proper due diligence by users and consumers, small businesses as well as internet service providers.

Stakeholder consultations meetings are scheduled for February and March 2019; as follows:

MELBOURNE CONSULTATION
Date: Friday 22nd February 2019
Time: 11:00 hrs – 13:00 hrs
Venue: Joint Cyber Security Centre
Level 32, 600 Bourke Street, Melbourne

CANBERRA CONSULTATION
Date: Friday March 1st 2019
Time: 11.00hrs – 13.00hrs
Venue: ASPI Offices
40 Macquarie St, Barton
ACT 2600

SYDNEY CONSULTATION
Date: Monday 4th March 2019
Time: 10:00 hrs – 12:30 hrs
Venue: Joint Cyber Security Centre
Level 25, Tower 2, Darling Park
201 Sussex Street, Sydney

If you would like to participate in building a safer internet, please contact ASPI here.

Online Influence and Hostile Narratives in Eastern Asia – Report

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ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre wrote a report for the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence that examined online influence and hostile narratives in Asia.

Eastern Asia — which we define as including East and Southeast Asia — is a region of increasing geopolitical competition with many racial, cultural and societal fractures. With the rapid expansion of inexpensive internet access, these fractures and tensions mean that many states in the region are both vulnerable to, and a source of, hostile information activities that are being used to achieve strategic goals both inside and outside the region.

This report documents examples of hostile information activities that have originated in Eastern Asia and have been targeted in the following countries:

  • Taiwan
  • The Hong Kong-based protest movement
  • West Papua
  • The Philippines

Because these activities often target social media, they have been difficult for law enforcement and national security organizations to police. Across the globe, countries are pursuing different methods of tackling the spread of hostile information activities with differing degrees of success. These approaches can range from law enforcement, temporary internet shutdowns, and attempts to legislate against ‘fake news’ or disinformation, through to wider societal media literacy initiatives.

Read this report, authored by ASPI International Cyber Policy Centre researcher Hannah Smith, here.

Cybersecurity and electoral integrity

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Address on Cyber Security and threats to Australian Elections given by Tom Uren at the Australian Parliament House research group meeting. 

Video here: https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/Vis/vis1819/Cybersecurity .

Defence Industrial Capability Plan launched

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The Hon Christopher Pyne, Minister for Defence Industry, today launched the new Defence Industrial Capability plan.

The plan outlines the opportunities for Australian industry to engage with the Government and strengthen Australia’s defence capabilities through the development of native industrial capability, infrastructure and innovation. 

A video of the launch can be viewed here.

Offensive Cyber report makes waves

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The new report by the International Cyber Policy Centre, Australia’s Offensive Cyber Capability, has caught the imagination of the Australian cyber community and is being widely reported and commented on.

Some of the media coverage is listed here;

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/boost-australia-s-cyber-capability-report

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/australias-worldclass-cyber-warriors-take-the-fight-to-islamic-state/news-story/1c4d7c17c3cbc7435ad316077974ec59

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australia-urged-to-invest-more-to-counter-cyberattacks

https://securitybrief.com.au/story/aspi-demystifies-australias-offensive-cyber-capabilities/

https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2018/clarity-for-australia-s-cyber-capabilities.html

https://overcast.fm/+lLFD160E

https://www.zdnet.com/article/cyber-dam-busters-could-give-australias-military-an-asymmetric-edge/

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/australias-offensive-cyber-capability/

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/cyber-strength-needs-better-recruitment-lower-classifications-aspi-20180409-p4z8l4.html

ASPI Cyber Masterclass ‘In Conversation: The future of cyber and emerging technologies’

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Media are invited to attend a special event featuring former US top cyber adviser Chris Painter hosted by ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) on the future of cyberspace and emerging technologies. Question our panel on some of the world’s pressing global issues including the impact of emerging tech on national security, cyber threats to our election process, the changing nature of cyber-conflict and the rise of censorship and strict information control in the Asia-Pacific.

Panel:

• Chris Painter, former US State Department Coordinator for Cyber Issues and White House Senior Director for Cybersecurity Policy;
• Dr Tobias Feakin, Australian Ambassador for Cyber Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Professor Elanor Huntington, Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University
• Fergus Hanson, Head of the International Cyber Policy Centre (chair)

Date: 28 February 2018
Time: 1630 – 1730
Venue: ASPI, Level 2, 40 Macquarie St Barton Canberra 

A canapes and drinks reception will conclude the event. Chris Painter is in Australia as the inaugural distinguished fellow at ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC). His visit is made possible thanks to the generous support of DFAT’s Cyber Affairs Special Visits Program, Macquarie Telecom Group and ICPC core sponsors

To register your attendance please contact:

Renee Jones, Events and Communications Manager, ASPI

E: reneejones@aspi.org.au

M: 0400 424 323

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull meets with Australia-US Cyber Security experts in Washington

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Thursday 22 February 1000 – 1130 (GMT-8): Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and senior Australian officials met with Kirstjen Nielsen, US Secretary of Homeland Security, Admiral Michael S. Rogers, US Navy, Commander, US Cyber Command, Director, National Security Agency, Chief, Central Security Service, senior US Government officials and industry and think-tank cyber-security experts. The high-level roundtable was hosted by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies at CSIS Headquarters in Washington D.C.

Discussion focused on how to deter and respond to unacceptable behavior in cyberspace – particularly by states and their proxies – and how to strengthen coordination between government and the private sector. The outcomes will frame the agenda for the second 1.5 Track Australia-United States Cyber Security Dialogue to be held in April 2018.

“Prime Minister Turnbull is demonstrating real leadership to address the great challenges of cyber security. CSIS is proud to partner with the Australian Government on such a crucial endeavor,” said John Hamre, President and CEO of CSIS.

“We’re delighted Prime Minister Turnbull was again able to participate in the US-Australia 1.5 track cyber dialogue”, the Head of the ASPI International Cyber Policy Centre Fergus Hanson said. “Having the top decision makers in the same room discussing the most pressing cyber challenges means we can get straight to the big issues.”

“Cooperation with likeminded countries is the best way to improve cybersecurity, and cooperation between the U.S. and Australia is crucial for security in the Asia Pacific region,” said James A. Lewis, Senior Vice President at CSIS.


For more information regarding the roundtable or 1.5 Track Australia-United States Cyber Security Dialogue please contact:
 

Renee Jones, Events and Communications Manager, Australian Strategic Policy Institute
E: reneejones@aspi.org.au
P: +61 400 424 323
 

H. Andrew Schwartz, Chief Communications Officer, Center for Strategic and International Studies
E: aschwartz@csis.org

P: 202 775 3242

Roundtable on Practical Futures for Cyber Confidence Building in the ASEAN region

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In  this roundtable ASPI brings experts in international affairs and cyber affairs from think-tanks, research institutes and universities from across the ASEAN region together with representatives of ASEAN and ARF Member States, Industry and other non-governmental organisations.

This activity is part of ASEAN-Australia Week, a lead-in event to the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit and is supported by the Australia-ASEAN Council. See: http://dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/foundations-councils-institutes/australia-asean-council/grants/grantees/Pages/practical-futures-for-cyber-confidence-building-in-the-asean-region.aspx

The aim of the event is to discuss ways to move forward with confidence-building measures in cyberspace in our region. The end result is a set of practical policy recommendations that will be presented to the Summit delegations.

Date: 15 March 
Time: 1000 – 1500
Venue: International Convention Centre Sydney 

This is an invitation-only event. Should you wish to attend, please contact Bart Hogeveen

Top US cyber adviser Chris Painter announced as ASPI distinguished fellow

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Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) is pleased to announce Chris Painter – former State Department Coordinator for Cyber issues and former White House Senior Director for Cybersecurity Policy – as its inaugural distinguished cyber fellow for 2018.

Chris has been on the vanguard of US and international cyber issues for over 25 years – first as a leading federal prosecutor of some of the most high-profile cybercrime cases in the country, then as a senior official at the Department of Justice, the FBI, the National Security Council and finally as the world’s first top cyber diplomat at the State Department.

“I am very happy to come back to Australia and spend time with my friends at ASPI’s ICPC and my many friends and colleagues in government, business and civil society. Australia has always been a strong partner on cyber policy and combatting cyber threats. As technical and policy threats increase in cyberspace it is imperative that we work together to promote an open and secure cyberspace, promote stability in cyberspace, and find new ways to deter bad actors,” Chris Painter said.

“Chris has made an extraordinary contribution to the world of cyberspace and national security and we’re delighted to host him at ASPI. Chris’s research at the centre will look at some of the big strategic issues in cyber affairs,” Head of ICPC Fergus Hanson said.

Chris will be in Australia from the 20th Feb until the 10th March. He will participate in a range of meetings, roundtables and events including the ASPI Cyber Masterclass on 28 February. Watch our event page and @ASPI_ICPC for more information. For media enquiries please contact reneejones@aspi.org.au / 0400 424 323

Chris’s visit is made possible thanks to the generous support of DFAT’s Cyber Affairs Special Visits Program, Macquarie Telecom Group and ICPC core sponsors.