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States and territories are where it gets real .
Professor Rory Medcalf at the National Press Club . Photo : Gary Ramage
The national interest
Unified approach needed to ensure Australia ’ s cyber security .
By Wade Zaglas
Australian states and territories must play a greater role in countering the security challenges of the 21st century and cyber security demands greater recognition and appreciation , two experts warned at a National Press Club Address .
Entitled ' Securing Australia in the 2020s ', Professor Rory Medcalf from the Australian National University opened by saying that “ 2020 had been a year of three rampaging black elephants ” for Australia , with “ catastrophic , climateinduced bushfires ” over the summer , the COVID-19 pandemic , and “ a China that is turning economic goods into goads of coercion ”.
Medcalf emphasised that it was time to consider “ what other black elephants were out there ” and how we might be better placed to deal with them . According to the ANU professor , some of these included a “ reliance on imported transport fuels ”, inadequate spending in research and development , and the need for countries in the region to strike a delicate balance between “ conflict and capitulation ” in the face of a more assertive China .
In addressing the formidable risks Australia faces in the future , Medcalf stressed that it was time for a truly national conversation on our “ national interest policy ”, one that was informed by all levels of government and all Australians , including “ Australians of Chinese descent ”. As state and territory governments can more accurately inform the federal government about their local communities , Medcalf said they must now be considered part of “ the frontline of national security ”.
To that end , the ANU professor recommended the establishment of National Security Units in each jurisdiction , made up of small teams with the ability to access and share critical national security information with different government departments .
During the address , Medcalf said foreign powers look upon state and territory governments as “ weak links ”; independent jurisdictions that detract from a unified foreign national security narrative or policy . “ States and territories are where it gets real ,” he said .
“ They don ’ t deal with the abstractions of diplomatic talking points or strategic analysis , but the tangible day-to-day elements of national resilience and national vulnerability – critical infrastructure , frontline geography , and the daily decisions and livelihoods of Australian citizens .
“ So state and territory governments need to accept that they have special responsibilities in securing Australia . That means they need to be equipped to do so . Right now , they are plainly not .”
Medcalf co-delivered the National Press Club Address with Michelle Price , CEO of AustCyber , the Australian Cyber Security Growth Network . She began her speech by outlining three elements of national interest – national security , economic prosperity and social impact – what Price called “ the engines for the identity of this nation ”.
The AustCyber CEO then moved on to the topic of cyber security and its importance to Australia ’ s national interest strategy . For instance , she highlighted that Australia is involved in $ 1 trillion of digital activity every year , an amount that would not have been even conceivable five to 10 years ago .
“ We are standing in a position now where enormous economic prosperity can come to our country as a result of being conscious around that relationship between national security , economic prosperity and social impact in a cyber physical world ,” Price said .
“ Every single one of us is engaged in the business of cyberspace .”
However , Price explained that the “ cyber physical war ” Australia is involved in every day is “ incredibly undervalued and unrecognised in how we go about taking a step forward in the 2020s and beyond ”.
To that end , the cyber security expert emphasised that Australians must become cognisant of “ how cyber security is an enabler to every single endeavour we ’ re engaged in ”. ■
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