{"id":86542,"date":"2024-04-18T20:58:14","date_gmt":"2024-04-18T10:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=86542"},"modified":"2024-04-19T16:09:40","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T06:09:40","slug":"how-australia-can-become-the-partner-of-choice-in-pacific-cyber-resilience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/how-australia-can-become-the-partner-of-choice-in-pacific-cyber-resilience\/","title":{"rendered":"How Australia can become the partner of choice in Pacific cyber resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

In a bid to <\/span>help Pacific <\/span>island <\/span>states <\/span>become more resilient<\/span> to<\/span> c<\/span>yber attacks<\/span> such as <\/span>the one Vanuatu <\/span>suffered<\/span><\/a> in 2022,<\/span> Australia <\/span>outlined a vision to<\/span> become the partner of choice for cyber security in the region<\/span> in <\/span>the <\/span>Australian Cyber Security Strategy<\/span><\/a> released <\/span>last<\/span> November<\/span>, as part of a <\/span>renewed focus on enhancing cybersecurity cooperation and capacity-building.<\/span><\/p>\n

This<\/span> marks a notable step forward in Australia\u2019s relationship with its neighbours<\/span>, but it lacks a focus on local investment, which the region wants most.<\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> crippling<\/span> ransomware attack<\/span><\/a> on the Vanuatu government’s <\/span>Broadband Network<\/span> underscored small island nations\u2019 vulnerability to cyber threats and highlighted the urgent need <\/span>to<\/span> improve cybersecurity regionally.<\/span> The impact<\/span> of the attack<\/span> was devastating, with ministries and administrative functions paralysed. Hospitals turned to pen and paper to register patients, the prime minister\u2019s office resorted to typewriters, and essential services, including schools and police, halted. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The<\/span> island states <\/span>need to<\/span> upgrade their systems to <\/span>shield themselves <\/span>from attacks s<\/span>uch as these, but it’s a tricky task.<\/span><\/p>\n

At <\/span>the inaugural <\/span>P<\/span>acific Cyber Capacity Building and Coordination Conference in 2023, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna <\/span>said<\/span> that while the digital revolution offered many opportunities, <\/span>i<\/span>sland <\/span>s<\/span>tates face<\/span> challenges <\/span>requiring a specialised approach. <\/span>L<\/span>imited budgets, legacy technology<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and societal vulnerabilities including prevalent online disinformation, make <\/span>digital<\/span> transition<\/span>s<\/span> complex.<\/span><\/p>\n

With <\/span>China pursuing deals<\/span> in the Pacific,<\/span> Australia <\/span>has responded by announcing <\/span>a suite of <\/span>aid and defence packages<\/span> to become the partner of choice and<\/span> increase <\/span>its<\/span> influence<\/span>.<\/span> The <\/span>step-up<\/span> in cyber<\/span> support<\/span>, <\/span>articulated\u00a0<\/span>in the sixth shield of the<\/span> Australian Cyber Security Strategy,<\/span> includes <\/span>Cyber RAPID teams, technical vulnerability reviews, end-of-life hardware assessments<\/span> and hardened digital standards and trade rules<\/span>. The <\/span>g<\/span>overnment has committed $26.2 million towards Cyber RAPID teams along with $16.7 million for hardware modernisation and \u2018secure-by-design\u2019 development.<\/span><\/p>\n

But being partner of choice <\/span>requires<\/span> not only alignment with shared goals and values, but also a willingness to listen, understand<\/span> and address unique needs and challenges over the long-term. <\/span>Shield Six <\/span>does not adequately <\/span>cover<\/span> this, <\/span>lack<\/span>ing <\/span>a focus on<\/span> true local investment<\/span> that<\/span> Pacific countries have consistently said they want most.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First, <\/span>A<\/span>ustralia <\/span>should<\/span> help the region\u00a0<\/span>build<\/span> sustainable resilience and capacity. <\/span>The World Economic Forum\u2019s latest <\/span>global cybersecurity report<\/span><\/a> identifies affordability as a critical determinant of cyber-resilience<\/span>, but i<\/span>n the Pacific, small budgets and limited technical capacity leave<\/span> many nations ill-equipped to defend <\/span>themselves <\/span>against cyberattacks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Take Fiji. <\/span>Its legacy Chinese-made technology and lack of cyber hygiene made it vulnerable to a surge<\/span> in <\/span>Chinese state-sponsored cyberattacks<\/span><\/a> f<\/span>ollowing rapid political changes in 2022<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now the Fiji<\/span>an<\/span> g<\/span>overnment <\/span>wants<\/span> more local skills to build cyber resilience, <\/span>knowing<\/span> this would also contribute to economic growth.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Australia <\/span>has <\/span>been addressing its own <\/span>cyber security skills gap<\/span> in recent years,<\/span> recognis<\/span>ing<\/span> the importance of a thriving cyber workforce to national prosperity<\/span>. <\/span>Australia can<\/span> adapt<\/span> this<\/span> experience\u00a0<\/span>to <\/span>support<\/span> Pacific<\/span> state<\/span>s<\/span> through<\/span> targeted training programs, scholarships, secondments and internships.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In doing this however, Australia must help ensure that <\/span>the<\/span> expanded pool of cybersecurity professionals remain<\/span> in their own countries<\/span> to safeguard local communities<\/span>, and not<\/span> perpetuate the existing gap in regional defences. <\/span>There is a <\/span>common gripe<\/span> that local professionals are <\/span>lured away by <\/span>opportunities abroad <\/span>and <\/span>not incentivised to<\/span> stay<\/span>. <\/span>Australia can help prevent brain drain by <\/span>supporting the creation of<\/span> robust local cyber communities and job<\/span>s that<\/span> offer<\/span> meaningful work and<\/span> competitive salaries.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We know this <\/span>can be done<\/span>. In 2013, not a single South Pacific <\/span>nation<\/span> had its own computer emergency response team. Today, Vanuatu has a skilled and committed <\/span>CERT<\/span>: half-a-dozen cyber warriors who have <\/span>stayed<\/span> in Vanuatu <\/span>to<\/span> alert the government to<\/span> threats, respond to <\/span>incidents<\/span> and educate the community on cyber security. Australia could <\/span>help<\/span> expand<\/span> Pacific-grown teams like the Vanuatu CERT through increased funding, technical assistance<\/span> and knowledge-sharing initiatives.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Specifically, <\/span>a cyber-skills <\/span>version of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme <\/span>w<\/span>ould allow <\/span>Pacific-islanders to work <\/span>in<\/span> Australia and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>eventually transfer knowledge back to their home country. <\/span>There is potential in the region: <\/span>the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector in Fiji<\/span> is <\/span>set to become a <\/span>$300 million industry<\/span> employing more than 5000 people by 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

A<\/span>ustralia can also <\/span>help<\/span> the region <\/span>bridg<\/span>e<\/span> the gap between awareness and action. <\/span>There is a shortage of sensors and experts monitoring the cyber threat landscape because <\/span>few companies are willing to invest in cyber threat intelligence in the South Pacific and governments are unable to afford the latest services<\/span>. <\/span>For example, c<\/span>ybercrime increased during the pandemic<\/span> as more Pacific Islanders ventured online<\/span>, b<\/span>ut we don\u2019t know by how much<\/span>.<\/span> The entire region needs to <\/span>be <\/span>uplifted<\/span> to meet\u00a0<\/span>the latest security standards <\/span>and<\/span> have access to<\/span> OSINT monitoring of social media, online forums<\/span> and <\/span>dark web marketplaces <\/span>in order to<\/span> understand who is behind <\/span>the <\/span>attacks.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Australian government should<\/span> help negotiate with<\/span> trusted cybersecurity technology companies<\/span> that can\u00a0<\/span>provide<\/span> endpoint security, threat intelligence and cyberattack training to stop breaches before they happen. Under this model, everybody wins: Australia gets enhanced regional security<\/span>,<\/span> influence and <\/span>a <\/span>more effective use of aid dollars<\/span>;<\/span> cyber companies gain access to a fertile source of<\/span> intelligence, corporate good-will and potential long-term partnerships; and Pacific countries receive<\/span> the <\/span>persistent cybersecurity infrastructure and expertise <\/span>they need <\/span>to pre-emptively safeguard their digital environments.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, <\/span>Australia<\/span> should<\/span> continue to help<\/span> local communities <\/span>in the region<\/span> understand<\/span> cyber<\/span> threat<\/span>s<\/span>, building on its<\/span> PaCSON<\/span> and <\/span>Cyber Safety Pacifika<\/span> initiatives that <\/span>promote online security attuned to cultural norms<\/span> through <\/span>hyper-local education <\/span>programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The key to Pacific resilience lies in investing in local capacity, fostering collaboration<\/span> and promoting home-grown education initiatives tailored to the Pacific way of life. <\/span>By making these investments,<\/span> Australia can <\/span>help <\/span>empower its neighbours, <\/span>prepare<\/span> them for <\/span>the next crisis<\/span> and show that it is truly <\/span>the<\/span> partner of choice.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a bid to help Pacific island states become more resilient to cyber attacks such as the one Vanuatu suffered in 2022, Australia outlined a vision to become the partner of choice for cyber security …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1848,"featured_media":86544,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[52,95,265,2160,1199],"class_list":["post-86542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-china","tag-cyber-security","tag-fiji","tag-pacific-islands","tag-vanuatu"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Australia can become the partner of choice in Pacific cyber resilience | The Strategist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/how-australia-can-become-the-partner-of-choice-in-pacific-cyber-resilience\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Australia can become the partner of choice in Pacific cyber resilience | The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In a bid to help Pacific island states become more resilient to cyber attacks such as the one Vanuatu suffered in 2022, Australia outlined a vision to become the partner of choice for cyber security ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/how-australia-can-become-the-partner-of-choice-in-pacific-cyber-resilience\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ASPI.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-04-18T10:58:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-04-19T06:09:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-2147888093.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meg Tapia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Meg Tapia\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\",\"name\":\"The Strategist\",\"description\":\"ASPI's analysis and commentary site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/how-australia-can-become-the-partner-of-choice-in-pacific-cyber-resilience\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-2147888093.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-2147888093.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683,\"caption\":\"Ethernet calbe wires lighting up connected to an internet router modem are seen against a blue background in Warsaw, Poland in this illustration photo taken on 17 April, 2024. 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