Australia is expected to host the world’s top cyber chiefs following the recent in-person meeting hosted by the White House to address the growing threat of ransomware and other cyber crime. 

After a series of recent high-profile attacks on critical infrastructure, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has stated that she will convene a counter-ransomware task force next year after 37 countries and 13 global companies agreed to the Counter-Ransomware Initiative this week. 

The announcement of establishing a group of cyber chiefs comes after the recent cyber security incidents in Optus and Medibank, where millions of their customer’s personal data were stolen. 

This week, a communications platform used by defence personnel was also targeted by ransomware. 

“The cyber incident involving Medibank Private is a blunt reminder we need a globally focused capability to combat cyber threats, including ransomware,” Minister O’Neil said. 

“This international task force will enable sustained and impactful collaboration between international agencies to disrupt, combat and defend against the scourge of ransomware.” 

The in-person meeting at the White House follows last year’s virtual inaugural meeting of the informal Counter-Ransomware Initiative. 

 For this meeting, seven countries were added and a diverse group of private sector players were brought in for the first time. 

Aside from Australia, countries participating in the meeting include Canada, European Commission, France, Germany and more. Russia, Belarus and other countries believed to harbour attackers did not participate. 

A US official states that the White House hoped the meeting will allow participating countries to “institute a set of cyber norms that are recognised across the globe to counter criminal ransomware threats and hold malicious actors accountable”.  

Participants also issued a joint statement at the end of the meeting, including a pledge to redouble efforts to bring pressure on Russia and other countries that harbour ransomware attackers. 

One key topic for discussion will be how to disrupt such attacks, counter the illicit movement of cryptocurrencies and build resilience against such attacks.  

“So less about Russia, more about how we as a set of countries make it harder, costlier, riskier for ransom actors to operate,” the official said.  

While Minister O’Neil is moving to establish a counter-ransomware task force, opposition cyber security spokesman James Paterson said the federal government needed to do more to attract cyber experts on the ground. 

“Australia’s major cyber challenge is the lack of qualified experts and skilled migration is a key part of addressing that challenge,” he said. 

“We need faster visa processing for cyber experts to make Australia a more competitive and attractive destination.” 

With AAP 

Eliza Sayon

Website | + posts

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.

• Developing an effective data ecosystem
• The journey of building an ecosystem through data
• NZ government strengthens data privacy laws against third parties
• eSafety Commissioner issues legal notice against Twitter