Cyber Security News

Australia and UK enter into Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership

Eliza Sayon Jan 25, 2022

2 min read

Australia has entered into a Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership with the United Kingdom to help shape a positive technology environment and maintain an internet that is open, free, peaceful and secure.

On 20 January 2022, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne welcomed UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and Minister for Women and Equalities Elizabeth Truss to Australia for the Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN).

During the meeting, the two leaders signed the partnership in a ceremony hosted by Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology Tobias Feakin.

Given the significant impact that new technologies have had on both of the countries, cooperation on cyber security and critical technologies has become an essential part of the modern UK-Australia relationship.

The Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership sees Australia’s commitment to working with international partners in challenging malign actors who use technology to undermine freedom and democracy.

Minister Payne stated that they will intensify cooperation and delivery around shared opportunities and challenges regarding cyber and critical technology policy through deepened cooperation around four pillars:

tackling malign actors;
promoting our values and positive vision for technology;
strengthening global technology supply chains; and
harnessing technology to solve global challenges.

The Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership brings a practical, value-driven approach to making the most of opportunities in cyberspace and critical tech while imposing greater costs on malign actors who would digitally attack the region’s prosperity and security.

Under the Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership, the two countries will be pushing for these initiatives:

Increase deterrence by raising the costs for hostile state activity in cyberspace – including through strategic co-ordination of our cyber sanctions regimes;
Strengthen the resilience and response capabilities of countries in the Indo-Pacific region to malicious cyber activity via joint capacity building activity. This will include tackling the increasing threat from ransomware through a joint initiative delivered in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime – a valuable step in helping the region to bring an end to criminal activity in cyberspace;
Develop an action plan on global standard-setting to ensure global standards deliver on our security priorities, economic interests and reflect our values;
Advance the Women in Cyber agenda, including through our Women and International Security in Cyber Fellowship.

Australia and the UK share the goal that technology is used to uphold and protect liberal democratic values, and to benefit our societies, economies and national security.

Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.