Media

Australia – UK Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership Principals Meeting Joint Statement

marta.paddubskaya@cre8ive.com.au — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 04:58:56 +0000

Australia – UK Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership Principals Meeting Joint Statement marta.paddubsk… Wed, 2022-12-07 15:58

Australia and the UK held the first in-person Principals Meeting under the Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership. We reaffirmed our commitment to shape a positive technology environment and maintain an open, free, peaceful and secure internet that is used to uphold and protect liberal democratic values and maximise opportunities for economic growth. Cooperation on cyber security and critical technologies is an essential pillar of the modern and dynamic Australia – UK relationship.

Australia and the UK discussed the increased scale and severity of malicious cyber activity by state and non-state actors. We will continue to work in close partnership to deter and respond to malicious actors threatening our national interests, global stability and the international rule-based order.

We agreed to strengthen cooperation and coordination on capacity building assistance requested by our partners in the Indo-Pacific, to enhance cyber and critical technology connectivity and resilience and access to the economic opportunities provided by the digital economy. The rapid shifts in the geo-political, economic and technological landscape across the Indo-Pacific necessitate cooperation to manage cyber and critical technology risks.

Australia and the UK discussed how to promote responsible and democratic use of cyber power and expressed a shared commitment to sustained engagement in international cyber governance processes in support of these objectives.

We agreed to explore opportunities to further strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation on cyber and critical technology. We will continue to work to ensure the way in which technology is designed, developed, governed, and used is shaped by our shared values and respect for universal human rights.

The meeting was an important step in cementing our shared practical and values-driven approach to the challenges and opportunities presented by cyber and critical technologies.

AUKMIN in 2023 will be another opportunity to take forward these discussions.

Both countries look forward to the next Principals meeting to be held in the UK in mid-2023.

Fifth India-Australia Cyber Policy Dialogue

marta.paddubskaya@cre8ive.com.au — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 00:32:48 +0000

Fifth India-Australia Cyber Policy Dialogue marta.paddubsk… Fri, 2022-11-18 11:32

1. India and Australia convened their fifth Bilateral Cyber Policy Dialogue on 17 November 2022 in New Delhi. The dialogue was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (Cyber Diplomacy Division) Ms. Muanpuii Saiawi from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India and Dr. Tobias Feakin, Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Australia.

2. The Cyber Policy Dialogue was held under the auspices of the India-Australia Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation and Plan of Action 2020-2025 for a comprehensive and deeper cyber cooperation.

3. The Indian delegation consisted of senior officials from National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Electronics and Information technology (MEITY), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), CERT-In and National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC). The Australian delegation comprised of senior officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Industry Science and Resources, and the Australian Federal Police.

4. The Cyber Policy Dialogue provides a bilateral platform to discuss a range of high-profile issues of mutual interest. Discussions at this Dialogue included strategic priorities, cyber threat assessment, next generation telecommunications including 5G technology, capacity technology capacity building and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, and the latest developments in cyber at the United Nations. Australia and India agreed to explore opportunities for further collaboration with the private sector and academia, including through the Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership. Australia and India will jointly conduct a Cyber Bootcamp, as well as Cyber and Tech Policy Exchanges, in collaboration with Indo-Pacific partners.

The sixth India-Australia Cyber Policy Dialogue will be held in 2023.

Australia-India Joint Working Group on Information Communications Technologies meets for the first time

marta.paddubskaya@cre8ive.com.au — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 02:33:08 +0000

Australia-India Joint Working Group on Information Communications Technologies meets for the first time marta.paddubsk… Wed, 2022-08-31 12:33

The inaugural Australia-India Joint Working Group on Information Communications Technologies (ICT) took place in Canberra on 5 July, co-hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (DITRDC).

The Joint Working Group brings together information and telecommunications technology officials and business representatives from Australia and India to discuss innovation and shared challenges in network security.

The working group was attended by representatives from Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology and International Telecommunications officials from DFAT, PM&C, Home Affairs and DITRDC and a delegation from across the Indian Government led by Mrs Muanpuii Saiawi, Joint Secretary from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The University of Sydney and UNSW joined the meeting to present on their Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership grant: Next Generation Telecom Networks: Privacy and Security Challenges, Regularity Interventions and Policy Framework; and Industry groups gave presentations on their experiences in Australia.

The inaugural meeting led to fruitful discussions about the what the working groups purpose would be and with constructive input from Academia and Australian-Indian Businesses such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and HCL, as well as Australian business CyberCX.

The Australia-India Joint Working Group on ICT is an outcome of Australia and India’s Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation which aims to enhance Australia and India’s bilateral cooperation on cyber and critical technology issues.

More information on the Australia-India Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-Enabled Critical Technology Cooperation and the AICCTP grants can be found here.

Improving digital trade opportunities for Australia

CCTCP — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 22:28:26 +0000

Improving digital trade opportunities for Australia CCTCP Fri, 2022-04-01 09:28

The Morrison Government is cutting red tape, improving access to markets and supporting new trade opportunities and jobs through its Digital Trade Strategy launched today.

Clear and high-quality digital trade rules can significantly lower barriers to trade, improve trade efficiencies and facilitate access to markets, creating new trade possibilities for Australia and our region.

The Digital Trade Strategy will guide Australia’s practical action as a leader in digital trade, informing our work to develop digital trade rules which deliver commercial benefits, promote our democratic values and push back against digital protectionism.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan said the strategy set out the Morrison Government’s focus on digital trade through trade facilitation, trust, cross-border flows of data, and cooperation.

“Digital trade is predicted to grow to $192 billion by 2030, and improving digital trade will support Australian businesses and Australian jobs,” Mr Tehan said.

“Keeping the global economy open and businesses trading through strong digital trade rules is crucial for Australia’s continued economic recovery and ongoing prosperity.”

Minister for the Digital Economy, Senator the Hon Jane Hume, said digital trade is an important feature of the Morrison Government’s ambition to make Australia a leading digital economy. “The Strategy builds on the Government’s existing data and digital initiatives, including the Digital Economy Strategy, and ensures Australia maintains momentum to keep pace with changing economic conditions and technology.”

The strategy also describes Australia’s important leadership role in digital trade rule making through participation in multilateral forums – including the World Trade Organisation, the OECD, APEC and the G20.

Authorised by The Hon Dan Tehan MP, Liberal Party of Australia, Parliament House, Canberra

The Strategy is guided by the International Cyber and Critical Technology Engagement
Strategy and supports Australia’s Digital Economy Strategy.

The strategy can be found here: https://www.dfat.gov.au/digital-trade-strategy

Summit sets high standards for critical tech

rhody.gleeson — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 02:47:02 +0000

Summit sets high standards for critical tech rhody.gleeson Tue, 2021-11-09 13:47

Australia's Cyber and Critical Tech Cooperation Program recently supported a project in support of Southeast Asia's engagement with critical technology standards with the completion of a virtual summit in partnership with Standards Australia.

The project, Incubating Capacity for Critical and Emerging Technology Standards, brought together 158 participants from industry, academia and government across Southeast Asia to explore topics including artificial intelligence, smart cities and advanced manufacturing as well as standards and statecraft in a summit and masterclass.

The four-day program from 25-28 October 2021 gave participants the chance to share the knowledge and skills required to accelerate the development, adoption and use of recognised critical technology standards.

The summit was also a great opportunity for stakeholders, national standards bodies, digital policymakers and representatives from industry to build new networks while deepening existing relationships.

Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology Dr Tobias Feakin provided opening remarks reminding participants why ensuring best practise and consistency in the development of critical technology standards remains key to fostering safe, interoperable and secure technologies.

Ambassador Feakin was followed by a range of speakers including Professor Aleks Subic from RMIT University and Vu Thi Tu Quyen from Vietnam’s Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality who shared their experience and expertise with attendees.

Standards Australia CEO Adrian O’Connell said support from the Cyber and Critical Tech Cooperation Program helped bring together some of the region’s top experts in critical tech standards.

“Partnering with DFAT allowed us to host this important event, and we look forward to continuing to work with ASEAN governments to support standards development,” Mr O’Connell said.

“Critical and Emerging Technologies continue to be of importance in the ASEAN region. As such, we strive to recognise and share intel and strategic value from our international partners in this field to understand and implement best practise processes.”

Learn more about the Cyber and Critical Tech Cooperation Program here.

Summit sets high standards for critical tech

Cyberspace, human rights and international law intersect in the Pacific

samantha.bell2 — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 04:03:20 +0000

Cyberspace, human rights and international law intersect in the Pacific samantha.bell2 Fri, 2021-09-17 14:03

Cyberspace, human rights and international law intersect in the Pacific

The Cyber and Critical Tech Cooperation Program has continued to promote understanding of how international law applies in cyberspace in the Pacific region with the completion of an updated executive course on Friday, 10 September 2021.

Delivered by Cyber Law International, the seven day course aligns closely to the International Cyber and Critical Tech Engagement Strategy’s priorities of applying international law to cyberspace and promoting human rights online.

Following a successful pilot for Southeast Asian officials in February, 15 participants dialled in from across the Pacific to virtually discuss some of the major cyber challenges facing the region. Representatives included legal and policy officials from Kiribati, Tonga, Fiji, Tuvalu, French Polynesia, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Marshall Islands as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Guided by leading experts in the field, the International Law in the Cyber Era: Finding Balance Between State Interests and Individual Rights executive course encouraged participants to consider how international law, individual rights, cyber activities and national security can strengthen cyber and critical technology resilience.

Scenario-based learning led to several lively discussions and debates regarding how countries should respond to the regional challenges presented by cyberspace in a way that both maintains international legal rules and supports national interests.

Liis Vihul, CEO of Cyber Law International, commented that the course focussed on some of the most pressing issues relating to the exercise and enjoyment of human rights in cyberspace, such as the dissemination of false or misleading information online, government surveillance activities, measures taken to manage the Covid-19 pandemic including contact tracing applications, and more.

Congratulations to the participants who obtained completion certificates and well done to the faculty for running another professional virtual course.

CLI Pacific course

2017 International Cyber Engagement Strategy

emily.francis — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 06:44:24 +0000

2017 International Cyber Engagement Strategy emily.francis Wed, 2020-11-04 17:44

Downloads

The 2017 International Cyber Engagement Strategy

The 2017 International Cyber Engagement Strategy set out Australia's ambitious cyber affairs agenda out to 2020.

Download pdf

2 MB

The 2017 Strategy at a Glance

A high-level overview of the 2017 Strategy.

Download pdf

59 KB

The 2019 Progress Report

The 2019 Progress Report sets out Australia's achievements under each of the 61 actions highlighted in the inaugural International Cyber Engagement Strategy.

Download pdf

5 MB

The 2019 International Law Supplement

Chapter Overview

Technology for Development

Chapter Champion

Prosperity

andrew.mackay — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 06:34:43 +0000

Prosperity andrew.mackay Wed, 2020-11-04 17:34

Prosperity Overview

International Cyber and Critical Technology Engagement Strategy: Prosperity

Technological developments are now at the centre of economic change and growth. Advances in technology increase productivity and efficiency, create new economic activity and open access to new markets.

Australia's international engagement will seek to create the conditions in which we can maximise the opportunities of cyberspace and critical technology for our prosperity, and that of our region. We do this because Australia benefits from an Indo-Pacific region of stable, prosperous and sovereign states that cooperate on shared interests and are resilient to coercion.

We will support enhanced connectivity, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, and support the rules-based trading system to maximise our collective prosperity. Australia will oppose unnecessary bifurcation of global technology markets, taking into account Australia's national security and national interests.

We will advocate for open, resilient, diverse and competitive technology markets, and promote standards that foster safe, interoperable and secure technologies.

International engagement and cooperation multiplies our own scientific efforts and provides access to cutting-edge technology in a cost-effective way. Cyberspace and critical technologies have the potential to reshape our economy and sustain long-term economic prosperity for Australia and the Indo-Pacific.

Strategy Champions

Jennifer Westacott

CEO, Business Council of Australia

Andy Penn

CEO, Telstra

Dr Lesley Seebeck

Honorary Professor, Australian National University

In this Pillar

Security

andrew.mackay — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 06:21:09 +0000

Security andrew.mackay Wed, 2020-11-04 17:21

Security Overview

International Cyber and Critical Technology Engagement Strategy: Security

The malicious use of cyberspace and critical technologies poses clear risks to the security and safety of Australians, our country, the Indo-Pacific region and the world. We will take action to strengthen our capability, and that of our region, to manage and respond to threats to security and safety enabled by cyberspace and critical technologies.

The value of international partnerships in responding to cyber threats and cybercrime has been demonstrated through our experience in responding to these risks. We will continue to strengthen our partnerships on cyber security and cybercrime prevention, detection and prosecution to help guard Australia and our region from these threats. New means of political and economic coercion are enabled by unlawful invasive surveillance, and disinformation is enhanced by the capabilities of cyberspace and critical technologies. We will expand our engagement with partners to increase capability to identify and effectively manage technology-enabled threats, such as disinformation.

This work is underpinned by our advocacy for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, founded in the application of existing international law and agreed norms of behaviour. Australia's position is that states must comply with their obligations under international law, including the UN Charter, when using technologies, and encourage states to make use of the established international legal framework that supports international cooperation to combat cybercrime.

Only by taking action to mitigate the risks born of the malicious misuse of technology can we realise the full range of benefits they offer.

Strategy Champions

Peter Jennings PSM

Executive Director, Australian Strategic Policy Institute

Julie Inman Grant

Commissioner, eSafety Commission

Mohan Koo

Co-founder and CTO, Dtex Systems

In this Pillar

Values

andrew.mackay — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 05:51:10 +0000

Values andrew.mackay Wed, 2020-11-04 16:51

Values Overview

International Cyber and Critical Technology Engagement Strategy: Values

Australia's international engagement will seek to shape the design, development and use of cyberspace and critical technologies in line with Australian values. These values are not defined by race or religion, but rather a shared commitment to liberal democratic values including political, economic and religious freedom, the rule of law, racial and gender equality, and mutual respect.

Australia is both a principled and a pragmatic country. While we do not seek to impose our values on others, we believe that where cyberspace and critical technologies are used to uphold and protect liberal democratic values and international law, societies are safer, more secure, enable greater economic growth, and encourage innovation. By seeking to shape international approaches to technology, founded on these values and international law, we will realise their full benefits while protecting against the risks of their misuse to the safety, security and prosperity of Australia, our region and the world.

We will oppose the use of cyberspace and critical technology to interfere with or undermine democratic principles and processes. We will support the promotion and protection of human rights online and through the design, development and use of critical technologies. We will promote the use of cyberspace and critical technologies to advance diversity, gender equality and women's empowerment.

We will cooperate with international partners, multilateral institutions, the private sector, the research community and civil society to achieve these goals.

Media

Australia – UK Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership Principals Meeting Joint Statement

Fifth India-Australia Cyber Policy Dialogue

Australia-India Joint Working Group on Information Communications Technologies meets for the first time

Improving digital trade opportunities for Australia

Summit sets high standards for critical tech

Cyberspace, human rights and international law intersect in the Pacific

Cyberspace, human rights and international law intersect in the Pacific

2017 International Cyber Engagement Strategy

Downloads

Digital Trade Chapter

Digital Trade

Digital Trade

Cyber Security Chapter

Cyber Security

Cyber Security

Cyber Crime Chapter

Cyber Crime

Cyber Crime

International Security and Cyberspace Chapter

International Security and Cyberspace

International Security and Cyberspace

Internet Governance and Cooperation Chapter

Internet Governance and Cooperation

Internet Governance and Cooperation

Human Rights and Democracy Online Chapter

Human Rights and Democracy Online

Human Rights and Democracy Online

Technology for Development Chapter

Technology for Development

Technology for Development

Prosperity

Prosperity Overview

International Cyber and Critical Technology Engagement Strategy: Prosperity

Strategy Champions

Jennifer Westacott

Andy Penn

Dr Lesley Seebeck

In this Pillar

Security

Security Overview

International Cyber and Critical Technology Engagement Strategy: Security

Strategy Champions

Peter Jennings PSM

Julie Inman Grant

Mohan Koo

In this Pillar

Values

Values Overview

International Cyber and Critical Technology Engagement Strategy: Values

Strategy Champions

Lisa Harvey-Smith

Edward Santow

Angie Abdilla

In this Pillar