Celia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for this motion. Cyberattacks are a deliberate act of manipulating or destroying computers, networks or information, and I strongly support the government's significant investment in its prevention. Cyber is a new battlefield which we must be prepared to protect, as it poses threats to individuals and businesses alike. The Australian Cyber Security Centre received over 60,000 cybercrime reports last financial year, and it is reported that 7.5 million Australians experienced cybercrime. This has resulted in over $3 billion lost by Australians as a result of cybercrime and over $61 billion lost in trying to resolve issues created by cybercrime.

The problem of cyberattacks has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as people are spending more time online than ever. While continuing to increase their usage, using the internet and various other online devices connecting to the internet, 48 per cent of Australian consumers feel more vulnerable to cyberattacks now than prior to the pandemic. Despite feeling vulnerable, our usage continues to increase. Although many Australians are taking steps to protect their cyberactivities, including 70 per cent of Australians taking more precautions online, individual actions alone do not quell the rising threat of coercive activity that could undermine Australia's digital sovereignty.

Overcoming this risk is a team effort that has government, organisations, business and individuals working together for the common goal of protecting Australia's cyberspace. I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the important work of the Australian Cyber Security Centre. They are a critical part of the team, providing information to businesses and individuals on how to protect themselves online and providing technical support to those affected by cybercrime.

This government is committed to developing the next national plan to combat cybercrime, a plan that will build on the Cyber Security Strategy 2020. We have a duty to Australians to ensure that we are doing everything we can to prevent and manage cyberattacks, and we are meeting this obligation by investing $15 billion in cybereducation, offensive capabilities and task forces to tackle cybercrime.

I want to spend a moment speaking on the biggest threat to Australia's online security, and that is ransomware—a malicious type of software that cybercriminals use to deny individuals and organisations access to their information and demand payment to have this access returned. Perhaps the most concerning attacks using ransomware in recent times have been those targeted at our banks. Banks have been disproportionately affected by cyberattacks, with banks in the US experiencing a staggering 1,300 per cent year-on-year increase in ransomware attacks this year. This is also occurring here on our own soil, with the Reserve Bank of Australia reporting that a significant cyberattack is inevitable, given year-on-year growth.

The Australian government is acting appropriately and pre-emptively to mitigate this threat to financial institutions, and we are protecting the privacy and information of all Australians. Strong, defensive cybersecurity is the best chance we have against ransomware, which is why the ACSC have a variety of resources available regarding ransomware and protecting against attacks, alongside a free alert service for all Australians and Australian businesses. I would encourage all Australians to visit cyber.gov.au and to have a read of the Ransomware Attacks Emergency Response Guide and the Ransomware Attacks Prevention and Protection Guide. There are also personal security guides with advice on how to protect yourself from common cyberthreats.

To keep these practical and simple, there are five simple things you can do to protect yourself online. Update your apps and computer systems. You can do this by simply turning on automatic updates. Use multifactor authentication. Use pass phrases, not passwords, making sure they are complex. Back up your data in a place separate from your network. Beware of emails and messages from unknown organisations or people. In fact, a message just came through on our parliamentary network this morning reminding us not to open up unknown addresses. I reiterate that dealing with cybercrime is a team effort, and we all need to pull our weight to secure Australia's digital environment. Again, I thank the government and the ACSC for the hard work that they do, and the Australian businesses and individuals who are taking the time to educate themselves.

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