James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Can the minister update the Senate on how Australia is joining with international partners to address the global challenge of malicious cyberbehaviour and publicly attribute this activity?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Paterson for his very important question. The Australian government last week joined with international partners to condemn Russia's malicious cyberactivity which targeted the state of Georgia in October. The GRU, Russia's military intelligence service, carried out a series of disruptive cyberactivities against a range of Georgian web-hosting providers that resulted in defacement of several thousand websites. They included websites belonging to the government of Georgia, to the courts, to NGOs, to media and to business. The incidents that we, in an international alliance, have attributed to Russia have harmed Georgian citizens' ability to simply go about their lives, have created insecurity within their country and have undermined their democratic institutions. This follows public attributions that Australia and international partners have made for a range of malicious cyberbehaviour previously by North Korea, China and Iran.

We believe in standing firmly with allies and partners to reject such conduct, which poses a clear threat to the international rules based order and, frankly, to our own values. Countries, including Russia, have all given undertakings to act in accordance with international law and norms in cyberspace. Where it serves our national interest, we believe in calling out countries that fail to live up to this agreement. Doing so, in our view, helps to foster a safe and secure cyberspace. Collectively, with like-minded countries, we want to ensure that our citizens can participate in a cyberspace that is a dynamic engine of economic growth and innovation, not a vector of interference or sabotage.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a supplementary question?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the minister advise the Senate how making public attributions helps uphold norms in cyberspace and helps ensure an open, free and secure cyberdomain?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is the Australian government's view that there must be consequences for malicious behaviour in cyberspace. Public attribution is but one tool to uncover the culpable state, removing that anonymity under which it hides to protect its malicious cyberconduct. We assess each incident, we calibrate our response accordingly, and our responses may include publicly or privately calling out unacceptable behaviour, but they can also include other measures. We'll ensure that our responses are proportionate and compliant with domestic and international law as well as with the norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. We believe that the rules based order must apply equally online as it does offline. As a responsible state committed to this principle, we must do our part to hold states accountable when they breach the agreed framework of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a final supplementary question?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the minister update the Senate on what else the Australian government is doing to promote an open, free and secure cyberspace?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I thank Senator Paterson for his question. Australia is in the leadership of global efforts to ensure an open, free and secure cyberspace that protects national security and allows technology and connectivity to remain forces for good. At UN Leaders Week in New York I co-sponsored, with the United States and the Netherlands, the Joint Statement on Advancing Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace. It is an important statement, and, along with Australia's International Cyber Engagement Strategy, it highlights Australia's role in promoting an open, free and secure cyberspace. That work has been led by Australia's Ambassador for Cyber Affairs, Dr Toby Feakin. Holding states appropriately accountable when they abuse the rules-based order is a vital constraint on the behaviour of those who would use cyberspace to destabilise democracies, to undermine institutions and to disrupt critical infrastructure.