The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) participated in the Prime Minister’s Cyber Security Roundtable early this week to address the challenge of cyber security.  

The TCA, which welcomed the cyber security roundtable as part of the federal government’s ongoing reform agenda on making Australia a cyber secure nation by 2030, also commended the Prime Minister and the Minister for Home Affairs on their collaborative approach with industry leaders. 

“The deteriorating cyber security environment facing Australia and the increasing awareness of cyber threats amongst the Australian community presents an opportunity for government and industry to unite and work together to improve our national cybersecurity readiness and resilience,” TCA CEO Kate Pounder said. 

“Australia currently falls behind leading nations in our cyber preparedness, cyber industry and cyber workforce – with vacancy rates for cyber security roles more than double the national average.” 

Check out: Cyber attacks to double in Australia in coming years 

The TCA established that there are four essential components that can help further secure the country from cyber attacks. 

Pounder states that a clear national cyber security plan must be established and should be underpinned by more effective coordination between the public and private sectors. This coordination should be done from threat intelligence sharing all the way to post-incident response and assessment 

The TCA CEO also said that aside from having a strong pipeline of cyber and tech talent, a thriving Australian cyber and tech ecosystem, and an uplift in cyber capabilities across the economy, better use and adoption of technologies can help prevent or reduce the impact of cyber attacks.  

Pounder also emphasises the duties of the government in establishing a modernised legal framework that is fit for the digital age. This framework should create the right incentives for organisations to invest in the appropriate collection, use and protection of personal information. 

Check out: Optus cyber attack a wakeup call for data guardians, experts say 

“We, therefore, welcome the Government’s efforts to make Australia a world-leading cyber security nation over the next decade. This goal isn’t just critical to our national security, it is also central to our economic security,” she said. 

“In the wake of the recent cyber-attacks which have impacted many Australians, the tech sector has been closely engaged with the Government to help identify practical and impactful measures that can improve cyber security across our economy and society” 

This Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese opened the Cyber Security Roundtable, inviting representatives from government agencies and independent experts to further develop a new National Cyber Security Strategy.

“Strengthening Australia’s cyber security is a fundamental priority for our Government,” he said.

“So, clearly as it stands, government policies and regulations, business sector systems and measures and our general awareness and capacity as a nation are simply not at the level that we need them to be. I think part of today is about raising awareness, but also, of course, about finding ways in which we can all go forward together.”

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