I’m glad to see Klee Aiken offer his thoughts on cybersecurity, and I share his suspicion of intrusive surveillance. But it’s for this very reason that I’m raising alternative uses of ‘big data’, and I fear Klee’s assessment of the potential role for government neglects several key issues.

To begin with, I’m not particularly confident the private sector will prove capable of protecting their own systems as cyber security becomes more burdensome. I’d welcome Klee’s input on this point, but I see a classic example of market failure behind industry’s lagging response to the system-wide costs inflicted by malware. After all, the US government has been announcing plans to foster more security-conscious behaviour since 2003, and yet they’re still waiting for any meaningful changes which can keep pace with new dangers.

Read more

At the Seoul International Cyberspace Conference last week, I was listening out for the big advances—if there were any—which had occurred since the previous conference in Budapest.  (For what the International Cyberspace Conference process is all about, my first post on The Strategist outlines the details.)

The most notable change in Seoul was the degree of participation from developing nations, who were absent from previous years. This time some 87 nations were represented at the conference, from all corners of the globe.  This is welcome, as unlike many of the more developed economies of Europe, China, and North America, many of these nations are still in the process of understanding how they exploit the digital economy to their advantage, building their own capabilities and working out where exactly they stand on the question of internet governance and security. Read more

The fear of attacks on critical infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, dams and electricity substations is not new – there has been a decade of commentary about threats to public services emanating from cyberspace. But governments have only recently begun to look to legal measures to mitigate these risks.

In February Barack Obama released an executive order entitled Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, calling it ‘one of the most serious security challenges we must face.’ Australia faces the same kinds of risks, and we could look to similar measures to help protect ourselves.

Assigning responsibility for critical infrastructure protection is complex. Whilst the government has a role in ensuring the supply of essential services, up to 85% of critical infrastructure in the United States and 90% in Australia is owned or operated by private industry. Some industries have strong regulatory frameworks and well-established cybersecurity practices, but some sectors struggle to maintain basic levels of cyber resilience. Read more

Christopher Painter, the US State Department’s Coordinator for Cyber Issues, conducted an insightful interview last week on cyber diplomacy, norms and whole-of-government approaches to cybersecurity. Painter, who is the lead negotiator on the US – China cybersecurity working group, spoke about the opportunities the dialogue presents and the challenges that differing views of cyberspace presents for policy formation. He also spoke positively about the recent consensus reached in the UN Group of Government Experts (UNGGE).

The UNGGE on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of Information Security recently released the report from its June meeting. The gathering was significant as it saw landmark consensus on the applicability of international law, in particular the UN charter, to cyberspace. The group of 15 experts including representatives from Russia and China was chaired by Australian Deborah Stokes, now Australia’s High Commissioner to PNG. Read more

Last Thursday the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, in partnership with the Commonwealth Bank, launched its new International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC).

A packed audience of key public and private sector stakeholders, all with a direct responsibility for elements of cybersecurity policy development and delivery, gathered at the launch. Catherine McGrath, Asia Editor at the ABC facilitated the lively dialogue which ensued from a panel of experts, including amongst others, Director-General of ASIO David Irvine, Malcolm Turnbull MP and the Commonwealth Bank’s security chief, Gary Blair.

After the centre was officially launched by ASPI CEO Peter Jennings, Gary Blair and myself (TF), the panel discussed the topic ‘What is Australia’s current response to cybersecurity and how should it evolve to promote a vibrant and dynamic digital economy into the future?’ Read more