Govt to take cybercrime fight to the criminals

The federal government has instructed the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) to use its offensive cybersecurity capabilities to disrupt and deter organised offshore cybercriminals in a bid to take the fight to the criminals’ doorsteps.

The ASD will use its offensive cyber capability — which is currently being used to target and disrupt terrorist organisations overseas — to seek to disrupt, degrade and deter cybercrime groups.

Announcing the move to a more proactive, offensive approach to fighting cybercrime, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said there have been nearly 23,7000 reports of cybercrime registered with the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN) in the past six months alone.

He said the offensive capability will form part of the government’s broader strategy aimed at shutting down safe havens for offshore cybercriminals.

Turnbull added that as the criminals continue to adapt and evolve their methods it is essential that the response to cyber threats evolve in kind.

The government has allocated $230 million towards improving cybersecurity capabilities as part of the National Cyber Security Strategy, launched last year, and will provide a further $400 million towards helping the nation’s defence forces improve their cyber capabilities.

In a related development, ACMA has announced the transition of its longstanding Australian Internet Security Initiative (AISI) to the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) within the Attorney-General’s department.

AISI operates as a public private partnership involving Australian internet providers supplying information aimed at protecting their customers from cyber threats. It involves the provision of daily email reports to internet providers identifying IP addresses on their networks identified as being infected with malware or potentially vulnerable to attack, such as computers serving as botnets for DDoS attacks.

Internet providers participating in the program are estimated to serve a combined 95% of Australian internet users.

ACMA said it has been working closely with CERT to transfer and integrate certain cybersecurity functions to the department. The move is the first recommendation of the recent review into ACMA’s functions.

“While we are proud of the ACMA’s important contribution to Australia’s cybersecurity framework for more than a decade, the transition is an exciting development as the AISI will be now be housed with similar programs and expertise,” ACMA Acting Chairman James Cameron said.

“We expect an ongoing close relationship with the CERT, particularly for the ACMA’s work regulating unsolicited communications, including commercial spam.”

CERT Australia has meanwhile announced that its first Joint Cyber Security Centre is already achieving results mere months after its opening in Brisbane in April.

Recent initiatives have included an interactive session involving industry and government representatives and led by the AFP, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Queensland Police Service covering law enforcement’s approach to fighting cybercrime.

The centre has also conducted joint activities with industry and government representatives involving the provision of targeted training, workshops and threat mapping.

The centre is the first stage of a $47 million program piloting collaborative work spaces for cybersecurity response. Such centres will be rolled out across capital cities by early 2018.

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