Mixed reactions greet Cyber Security Centre

Just before the Australia Day weekend Prime Minister Julia Gillard launched Australia’s first National Security Strategy.

The 58-page white paper covered the benefits of the Australian-US alliance, the importance of Chinese-US relationships and increasing Australia’s engagement with our Asian neighbours.

Some Defence commentators expressed disappointment over its lack of a budget detail and action arising from strategy, noting persistent cuts in Defence over last year

Brett Biddington, a former RAAF intelligence officer told ADM he was disappointed that space issues were given little if any attention in the paper.

“It tells me the Government is still not comprehending the importance of space and satellite issues to our national economic, health and well-being,” Biddington said.

Critical of the absence of any reference to the work undertaken by the Industry and Innovation Department and its forthcoming space policy paper, he saw a disparity between activities such as the new radar investments going into NW Cape and the national security agenda.

The most interesting aspect lay in the proposal of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) to consolidate dispersed national security functions by the end of the year. It is to be funded by a budget of $1.46 billion to 2020.

The Business Association ACCI welcomed the development. “Today's statement is a timely warning to the private sector of the rarely spoken about but real and present threats to our economy from terrorist and criminal forces." ACCI release stated.

AS well a new office of Cyber Policy Coordinator will be established in PM's Department to oversee the ACSC.

According to the PM, ACSC will be a “world-class facility combining existing cyber security capabilities across the Attorney-General’s Department, Defence, ASIO, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Crime Commission in a single location.”

It will offer an expanded and more agile response capability to deal with “all cyber issues” — be they related to government or industry, crime or security.

Further it will be “a hub for greater collaboration with the private sector, State and Territory governments and international partners" to combat the full breadth of cyber threats. Malicious cyber activity will likely be with us for many decades to come, so we must be prepared for a long, persistent fight.”

To Canberra sceptics it sounds like the basis for a new round of efficiency cuts all round, notwithstanding the new titles.

The future of the embryonic Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) on Cyber Security led by Edith Cowan University may find its bid for Government funds, scheduled for this year, be pre-empted by the ACSC.

The PM noted that in 2011-12 there were more than 400 cyber incidents against government systems requiring a significant response by the Cyber Security Operations Centre.

She also re-quoted the somewhat conflated figures from Norton’s survey of cyber crime to the effect that in 2012, 5.4 million Australians fell victim to cyber crime with an estimated cost to the economy of $1.65 billion.

However, in 2011 Norton claimed cybercrime cost Australians $4.6 billion per annum. This year’s survey revised that down to $1.65 billion in direct costs.

If nothing else, publication of reliable and consistent data on cyber crime would be a worthwhile outcome from the white paper proposals.