Concerns on cyber security have risen across all levels of the public and private sector due to the increase of sophistication and scale of cyber threats in the last couple of years.  

In the ASCS’s Annual Cyber Threat Report 2020-21, former Assistant Minister for Defence Andrew Hastie stated that many reported cyber-attacks targeted critical infrastructure and essential services. The report also showed an increase in cybercrime reports caused by the shift in working online.  

The growing cyber threats have led the Australian Government to put cyber security on its national agenda. After investing over $1B in the Cyber Security Strategy 2020 and upgrading the Essential Eight in 2021 for further protection, the government appointed a dedicated minister for cybersecurity following the federal election. 

While these changes have helped the country improve, the ACSC has advised organisations this year to adopt an enhanced cyber security posture as urgently as possible in the wake of a heightened global cyber threat environment. 

During Akolade’s Cyber Security for Government Summit on 26 – 28 July 2022, cyber and information security professionals from national and international organisations were brought together to learn how they can best improve their cyber-defense capabilities. 

“It was great to see leaders in cybersecurity converging to discuss solutions to very relevant problems that are common across many Government departments. The willingness to collaborate will help us all manage the ever-changing threat landscape,” Enterprise Information Manager, eHealth NSW and National President, DAMA Varun Pant said. 

“Such events provide us an opportunity to get up to speed with the emerging trends in cybersecurity, and exchange ideas with peers and learn from their experiences.” 

The delegates learned that the struggles regarding cyber security were universal despite coming from various government departments, and that those who are navigating the field were doing so with caution and confusion on how to best prioritise their agency’s cyber needs. 

There was no linear path for cyber professionals to approach cyber security as the number of frameworks available to approach it are vast and will depend on various factors within the government agency. 

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The Cyber Security for Government Summit covered a range of topics, from safeguarding essential services by improving critical infrastructure to protect assets to handling highly sophisticated intrusions that come from malicious global cyber actors. 

Some speakers discussed ways organisations can better equip themselves against cyber threats, such as Cyber Security Project Coordinator, Department of Premier and Cabinet (WA) Simon Carabetta who presented his methods for running an effective cyber security awareness campaign across an entire organisation. 

Principal Cyber Security, NSW Department of Customer Services Dr Bazara Barry also explained the importance of enhancing Whole-of-Government cyber security capability. 

“An important milestone in that journey is when Government achieves digital trust. That cannot be achieved, however, unless enterprise risks are reduced to an acceptable level,” he said. 

“The only way to reduce risks is through building and continuously enhancing cyber security capabilities. The broader our view is regarding what constitutes cyber security capabilities, the more able we are to see the big picture and have a balanced overview on People, Processes, and Technology.” 

Dr Barry’s presentation further showed that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and that not all Government agencies have equal conditions with their cyber security. 

Other speakers presented peripheral topics in relation to cyber security like governance, policy and foreign policy. There were also discussions on user awareness training, and how agencies need clear guidance and advice in setting realistic expectations from regulation and legislation. 

Cyber maturity across Australia’s government agencies is not at the level that it should be. As cyber-threats and intrusions escalate, cyber professionals are now more pressed than ever to find solutions that will improve their agency’s resilience in a heightened threat environment. 

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.

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