The Australian Federal Government has just announced a $1.35 Billion funding boost to Australia's cyber defences, of which, $31 million will go towards building new offensive capabilities with the intent of getting on the front foot of malicious cyber activity.
It is welcoming to hear Scott Morrison, the current Prime Minister of Australia, vocalising the importance of cybersecurity and making it a top priority for the Government.
The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), along with the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) will be pivotal in the overall success of Australia's efforts in protecting Government organisations, businesses and individuals from cyber threats.
In summary, the topline proposed spend, over the next decade is as follows -
Australian Signals Directorate to receive
- $31 million to enhance its offshore capabilities
- $12 million towards "new strategic mitigation and active disruption options"
- $62 million to deliver a national situational awareness capability
- $118 million to expand their data science and intelligence capabilities
- $20 million for research labs to allow for a better understanding of emerging threats to new technologies
In addition, we will see a $35 million spend on creating a platform which allows government and industry to share intelligence with the view of blocking threats in real time.
The final piece of the investment includes the expansion of cybersecurity roles in the ASD, expected to cost an additional $470 million.
The Government sees today's announcement as a way of getting on the front foot of the nations cyber defenses and brings a new focus on the importance the country's digital footprint.
Find the original Media Release from Scott Morrison here https://www.pm.gov.au/media/nations-largest-ever-investment-cyber-security
