Australia Plans Cyber Defence Strategy To Combat Hacking

Cyber Security Strategy is one of the most important Strategies of any Nation. This Strategy should not be mere words but an “Implementable Mechanism” that can ensure Robust Cyber Security. This Mechanism must also be supported by a Stringent and Strong Legal Framework in this regard.

In the Indian context, we have a poor Cyber Security in India. We have no implementable Cyber Security Strategy in India. We are still following “Achievements on Paper Theory” in India. We have no Cyber Warfare Policy in India and even Critical ICT Infrastructure Protection Policy of India is missing. Even the Cyber Law of India deserves to be repealed. These Policies do exist in “Form but not in Substance”. Hence for all practical purposes we can consider them as non existent.

Further, there is also no International Cyber Security Treaty as well. In fact, Developing Countries like US are against such International Treaty. This makes International Cooperation and Harmonisation next to impossible. The only viable option that remains is strengthening National Cyber Security and National Cyber Laws and Australia is doing exactly the same.

Australia will develop a Cyber Defence Strategy to combat Cracking and Cyber Espionage. Australian Government declared this after responding to what it sees as an increased threat after recent cyber attacks on global companies and government officials.

For instance, the news of attempt to steal the password of hundreds of Google email account holders, including those of senior U.S. government officials, Chinese activists and journalists is out. Google believes that Chinese hackers are behind this attempt once again. US is assessing whether security had been compromised by this attack.

Australia's Parliament came under cyber attack in February, with the computers of at least 10 federal ministers including Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Defence Minister Stephen Smith, targeted and confidential emails possibly accessed. Similarly, the European Parliament's computer networks were also breached by a cyber attack.