Employers welcome Australia's cyber security strategy

Employers across Australia have warmly received the government's newly unveiled strategy to boost national cyber defence, which includes extending support to businesses and professionalising the cyber workforce.

The Australian Industry (Ai) Group, which has members employing over 750,000 people across the country, described the strategy as "sensitive to the realities of business."

"The announcement of new funding to support our largest cohort of businesses in the country is a welcome step in enhancing cyber capabilities across our economy," said Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox in a statement.

"We know that Australian industry is already actively engaged and investing in cyber security. However, there are a range of capabilities across businesses – gaps remain particularly for our medium and smaller enterprises."

Willox added that the bigger investment to develop the cyber skills of the workforce is also "much needed."

The Ai Group's recent report on the cyber readiness of organisations revealed that small and medium businesses face bigger cyber risks as they don't have workforce investment capability.

"Support to increase the cyber skill levels of our workforce is needed," Willox said.

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) also welcomed the strategy on cyber defence, noting that the government listened to the concerns raised by businesses.

"Businesses face cyber-attacks each and every day and their sophistication and scale are increasing so we are pleased to see a renewed focus in bringing together government, businesses, and experts to ensure Australians are protected," said BCA chief executive Bran Black in a statement.

Cyber defence strategy

On Monday, the government unveiled its 2023–2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy in a bid to protect the country from the growing threat of cyber criminals.

The strategy contains six national cyber shields, which includes an investment to support small and medium businesses in strengthening their cyber defence.

"We are doing an enormous amount in this strategy specifically for small business, and that is because we know that as much as we worry as a nation about cyberattacks on really big companies. Usually these are matters that can be handled," said Cyber Security Minister Clare O'Neil in a press conference.

"For a small business, a cyberattack can be automatically fatal, and we need to do more to support them."

Another major national cyber shield includes the allocation of $8.6 million to professionalise Australia's cyber workforce and accelerating the cyber industry in Australia.

"We want to build a country where we've got the cyber skills we need," O'Neil said.

Cyber environment about to 'get worse'

Overall, the government said it is committing $586.9 million to its Cyber Security Strategy out to 2030.

It comes after numerous reports of organisations getting hit by cyberattacks, including Rio Tinto and The Guardian, which compromised employee data.

O'Neil said that while it appears the cyber environment is already bad for Australia, they have reason to believe that things are "going to get worse."

"That's why we need a better way of managing this problem. And that's what today's cyber strategy is about," the minister said.

She acknowledged that while there is no plan to reduce cyber risk to zero, the strategy will make Australians a harder target for cyberattacks.

"What we do need to do is make sure that we're making our country a hardened target, that we're fighting back against cyber criminals who are seeking to do us harm," O'Neil said.