AUSTRALIA’S

… BUT CYBER SECURITY THREATS ARE SERIOUS AND
GROWING
As people and systems become increasingly
interconnected, the quantity and value of
information held online has increased. So have
efforts to steal and exploit that information.
Cyberspace, and the dynamic opportunities it
offers, is under persistent threat.
Malicious cyber activity is a security challenge
for all Australians. Australian organisations
across the public and private sectors have
been compromised by state-sponsored or
non-state actors. Overseas, large multinational
companies and government organisations
have been targeted, losing substantial
amounts of sensitive commercial and personal
information or incurring major damage to
their business and reputation.
Figures vary, but cybercrime is estimated
to cost Australians over $1 billion each year.
Worldwide, losses from cyber security attacks
are estimated to cost economies around
one per cent of GDP per year. On this basis,
the real impact of cybercrime to Australia
could be around $17 billion annually. These
costs are expected to rise. Government,
telecommunications, resources, energy,
defence, banking and finance sectors are likely
to remain key targets for cyber criminals and
malicious state actors alike.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre
Threat Report 2015 says the cyber threat is
undeniable, unrelenting and continues to
grow. If an organisation is connected to the
internet, it is vulnerable to compromise—and
the malicious cyber activities in the public eye
are just the tip of the iceberg.
TYPES OF MALICIOUS CYBER ACTIVITY
Malicious cyber activities are wide ranging. They include activities designed to compromise
the confidentiality, integrity or availability of computer networks or ICT systems or
the information on them. The term ‘cyber espionage’ refers to theft of information for
intelligence purposes. ‘Cybercrime’ refers to crimes directed at computers, such as
illegally modifying electronic data or seeking a ransom to unlock a computer affected by
malicious software. It also includes crimes where computers are part of an offence, such as
online fraud.
In this Strategy, the term ‘cyber attack’ refers to deliberate acts that seriously compromise
national security, stability or prosperity by manipulating, denying access to, degrading
or destroying computers or networks or the information resident on them. Other serious
compromises are simply referred to as ‘malicious cyber activity’.
AUSTRALIA’S CYBER SECURITY STRATEGY | 15