Digital Trade

Ambassador for Cyber Affairs Tobias Feakin - Digital Trade

Tobias Feakin, Australia's Cyber Ambassador: At its heart cyber affairs is an economic prosperity issue, without good cybersecurity we're never going to make the most of all the opportunities that the cyber sphere offers us.

So that's why Australia is looking to maximise the opportunities and digital trade promotion opportunities that we might have in the region and globally. We're going to do this through promoting positive engagement in regional international forums, on best practice in digital trade, and also by trying to promote as well we can Australia's proposition in the digital space.

There is no doubting now that the digital economy is just the economy. There is rarely a business that won't have some sort of digital component, we need to maximise the promotion of that for Australia in the region and the world.

Chapter Champion Jennifer Westacott - Chief Executive, Business Council of Australia

Jennifer Westacott: Well digital trade is a huge opportunity for Australia. Billions and billions of dollars, could come our way if we get this right.

That means government and the private sector have to sit down and work out how we regulate it, how we protect for personal security, and how we protect for cyber security.

But, this is a tremendous opportunity because consumers will mean that almost everything is tradable, things that are not tradable now will become tradable through digital trade, and that means we have to start thinking through a multilateral and our bilateral trade agreements to make sure that they include digital trade, and that they open up new markets for Australia.

A great opportunity, but we've got to get it right.

Cyber Security

Ambassador for Cyber Affairs Tobias Feakin - Cyber Security

Tobias Feakin, Australia's Cyber Ambassador: Cybersecurity is about trust and confidence. It's about being able to go about our business and everyday lives in a way where we trust the information we access and the things that we do online.

So Australia wants to promote a strong resilient cybersecurity posture, not only for itself but for the region and also for the globe. How are we going to do that? We're going to promote strong cyber security partnerships internationally. We're going to promote best practice in cybersecurity.

We're also going to look at ways that we can enhance information sharing, not only in the region but globally. We think by doing those things we can create a more cyber resilient cyber secure ecosystem which everyone will benefit from, not just ourselves.

Chapter Champion Peter James - Macquarie Telecom Group

Peter James: Cybersecurity affects all of us. Whether it be government, the private sector, or individuals alike.

In fact it would be difficult to overstate the importance of cybersecurity in today's connected society, and against this backdrop it's essential that the Australian government have a comprehensive, coordinated approach to its cybersecurity strategy.

Firstly, for strong engagement with our international partners particularly in this region, and secondly, working closely with the private sector with companies such as Macquarie telecom, who build and deploy large components of the cyber security framework. We're pleased to do our part and we commend the Australian Government on the development and launch of this comprehensive Cyber Security Strategy.

Cybercrime

Ambassador for Cyber Affairs Tobias Feakin - Cybercrime

Tobias Feakin, Australia's Cyber Ambassador: Cybercrime is a growing problem globally.

Wherever you are it affects us all, in Australia and also in the Indo-Pacific region. We know that in the Indo-Pacific region businesses are impacted by approximately a third more compared to North America or the EU. And that's a significant issue that we need to address and that's something that we are addressing through the International Cyber Engagement Strategy.

We're looking to strengthen our regional partners ability to prosecute and investigate cyber crimes. We're looking to work diplomatically to strengthen our bilateral and our regional and global approaches to that trans boundary issue that affects us all. In total what we're trying to do is squeeze the operating space of cyber criminals and ensure that we all enjoy the benefits of the online space.

Chapter Champion Andrew Colvin - Australian Federal Police Commissioner

Andrew Colvin: My name's Andrew Colvin, and I am the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, and I am happy to lend my support as a cyber champion to the launch of the International Cyber Engagement Strategy.

We know we live in a connected world, well in that connected world we take for granted the incredible opportunities we get from technology and particularly from the internet. But there's also risks associated with those opportunities. We know that criminals are opportunistic, and within the cyber environment, it's a low risk and high yield environment for criminals to operate.

Of course the cyber world is one that knows no borders and jurisdiction has no relevance. And that's the importance of this strategy that is being launched today. We are only ever as strong as the weakest link. And that's why regionally it is important that we all work very closely together to ensure we have the best capability, and the best capacity to defeat cyber crime wherever it might happen.

We need to work with our partners in government and we need to work with our partners in the private sector to ensure that we take the best possible measures to make sure we don't become victims of cyber crime.

So with that in mind, I am pleased today to lend my support, as a cyber champion to the release of the International Cyber Engagement Strategy. Well done everybody.

International Security & Cyberspace

Ambassador for Cyber Affairs Tobias Feakin - International Security & Cyberspace

Tobias Feakin, Australia's Cyber Ambassador: In response to the international security dimensions of cyber affairs, Australia is looking to promote a secure and peaceful online environment.

How do we go about doing that? Well firstly, it's about creating clear expectations of what appropriate state behavior looks like online.

Secondly, it's about creating confidence-building measures so that we lower that potential for miscalculation and misinterpretation between states.

And thirdly, when we find malicious activity it's looking at ways that we can deter and respond to those malicious actors online.

Chapter Champion Peter Jennings - Executive Director ASPI

Peter Jennings: I'd like to congratulate the Minister and the Ambassador for Cyber Affairs, Toby Feakin, for bringing this document to reality.

Now the area that I'm particularly interested in, is the chapter which relates to international security, and there are three elements which are set out in terms of what the government's objectives are that; it talks about setting clear expectations for state behaviour, in terms of cyber security, it talks about implementing confidence-building measures in cyber security with a particular focus on our region and Southeast Asia, and it talks about the importance of being able to deter and respond to unacceptable cyber behavior.

Now I think those three elements add a mature approach to Australia's International Cyber Engagement Strategy. A realistic one which for example recognises that as a country we are also engaged in the business of developing cyber defence mechanisms for use in international conflict for example, as many countries are. So, once again let me congratulate the government for finalising this cyber policy statement. The work of implementation begins now and I wish everyone well, as they consider how to do that.

Internet Governance & Cooperation

Ambassador for Cyber Affairs Tobias Feakin - Internet Governance & Cooperation

Tobias Feakin, Australia's Cyber Ambassador: The backbone of how the Internet has been governed over the last thirty years has grown pretty organically.

If you like, it's a bit of a mishmash of non-governmental organisations, private sector bodies and interested individuals. And in that way actually it's incredibly resilient, but there are growing numbers of states who want to exert state control over the internet.

This is something that we don't agree to. We have a multi-stakeholder approach that means that for Australia it's important that the internet embodies the whole of society, be it academia, be it non-governmental organisations, be it government's, be it the private sector.

So we want to embody that in our internet governance engagement both nationally and also internationally. Australia is promoting an internet which is open, free and secure.

Chapter Champion Samantha Dickinson - Lingua Synaptica

Samantha Dickinson: Today the internet underpins and facilitates so much of what we do in our everyday lives.

It's also vital to a range of Australian industries as diverse as finance, fishing, agriculture and the performing arts. But the breadth of the Internet is possibly also one of its biggest challenges, the boundaries between what we call internet governance and what are other areas of governance, are very fluid.

This means that it's essential to have participation from a wide range of industry experts and stakeholders. Only that way can we ensure that the Internet continues to be a force of social and economic development.

Australia is an active and very well respected participant in international internet governance processes.

I have no doubt that the new Australian Cyber Engagement Strategy will help to build and maintain a more robust Internet foundation, upon which all Australians can benefit.

Human Rights & Democracy Online

Ambassador for Cyber Affairs Tobias Feakin - Human Rights & Democracy Online

Tobias Feakin, Australia's Cyber Ambassador: The Internet is a vital part of social enablement; and also, human rights activity, and for Australia this is a fundamental principle of the Internet.

Which is that human rights should apply equally online as they do offline, and this is a mantra that we will promote throughout all of our international engagements.

Chapter Champion Frerieke van Bree - Digital Defenders Partnership

Frerieke van Bree: Congratulations Australia with your new international Cyber Engagement Strategy.

My name is Frerieke van Bree. I manage the digital defenders partnership. We provide emergency response to the critical internet users, journalists, human rights defenders that are under digital attack in internet repressive regimes.

I was really thrilled to receive the chapter on human rights and democracy. It's great to see Australia's not only advocating, but also supporting and ensuring that human rights and democratic principles are integrated in all the projects Australia's supporting.

I hope this will be an example to other countries, we look forward [to] cooperating. Greetings from the Netherlands.

Technology for Development

Ambassador for Cyber Affairs Tobias Feakin - Technology for Development

Tobias Feakin, Australia's Cyber Ambassador: Digital technologies are a profound enabler of socio-economic growth and also development.

They enable access to a broader range of services than most societies would have ever believed possible just years ago; so they allow access to education to government, to broader communications and finance access.

That's incredibly important as far as Australia is concerned, that we try and look at ways that we can utilise digital technologies to further the sustainable development goals and incorporated into the way that we deliver capacity-building around the region and beyond.

Chapter Champion Adrian Turner - CEO Data61

Adrian Turner: This chapter is important because it's speaking to the role of technology as an enabler for economic growth, and also the role that technology plays in lifting populations out of poverty, and into prosperity and it's important globally for the world to have access to these emerging technologies, and we're right at the front end of what many are calling the fourth Industrial Revolution, which is the convergence of biology material, sciences and IT.

So these new industries that we're creating will be data driven and underpinning those will be cybersecurity driving trust and confidence in, in these emerging technologies and industries.