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Cyber Storm II Media Event

House of Representatives Alcove
Australian Parliament House, Canberra

Friday 7 March 2008, 11.20am

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Acknowledgements

• First, may I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we meet on – and pay my respects to their elders, both past and present.

Other Acknowledgements

• Chair – Robert Cornall AO, Secretary
  Attorney-General’s Department
• His Excellency Mr Robert McCallum Jr,
  US Ambassador
• His Excellency Michael Leir, Canadian Ambassador
• Deputy High Commissioner Tim Gurney, UK
• Commissioner Mick Keelty, Australian Federal Police
• Steve Stroud, Director of the E-Project Exercise, Projects and Review, AGD (also speaking)

Introduction

1. Welcome everyone.
   It’s great that you could join us for the launch of this important exercise.
2. It’s particularly pleasing to see representatives of the business community here. The involvement of such major companies in Cyber Storm 2 is a timely reminder that Governments can’t do it all when it comes to protecting the community from cyber attack.

The Challenge

3. It’s a truism to say we live in a rapidly changing world. And nothing better embodies this change than the internet.
   Its remarkable growth has undoubtedly added to the world’s prosperity. But as the interconnectivity between governments, businesses and communities grows, so too does the potential for terrorists to take advantage of it.
4. Make no mistake, the threat of cyber attack is real and it’s growing.
5. The US Defence Department has revealed it detects about three million unauthorized probes of its computer networks everyday.
6. Mostly, it’s amateur hackers trying their luck. But sometimes it can be more sinister. Last autumn, a cyber attack required fifteen hundred computers to be taken off-line.
7. In May, Germany discovered a spyware program had been planted inside government computers in several key ministries, including the office of the Chancellor.
8. Then there is perhaps the best known attack in recent times, which targeted Estonia. A co-ordinated effort disabled many of the country’s websites, including the Estonian parliament, ministries, banks, newspapers and broadcasters.
9. Financial markets and telecommunications systems are other possible targets. Just imagine the economic consequences of an attack that brought trading on the world’s stock exchanges to a halt.
10. Governments that take national security seriously can’t turn a blind eye to these types of cyber threats.
11. It’s imperative we test our preparedness and response capabilities.

Cyber Storm II

12. This is why we have Cyber Storm II.
13. By playing out various real-time scenarios, we can see how we measure up and how we can improve.
14. Led by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Cyber Storm II builds on the first exercise that was held in February 2006.
15. And it is a big team effort – involving the government and business sectors of all participating countries
    • the United States
    • Canada
    • the United Kingdom
    • New Zealand, and
    • Australia.
16. The counter-terrorism exercise will simulate coordinated cyber attacks on critical infrastructure.
17. I have outlined, if such attacks did happen, it could put a lot of key services and industries out of action and have serious knock on effects.
18. So we need to be prepared and we need to work together.

Working Together

19. Team work is especially important when it comes to protecting our infrastructure.
20. This is why the Australian Government and the business sector are actively working together.
21. For example, the Trusted Information Sharing Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection – known as the TISN – joins business and government to work on security challenges and the best ways to handle them.
22. Likewise, the Business Government Advisory Group on National Security gives business leaders the opportunity to advise the Government on a broad range of national security issues.
    It also provides a forum for the Government to discuss security proposals and developments with the business community.
23. And I’m looking forward to chairing the Group when it meets later this year.

Conclusion

24. Of course, we are also committed to working with our friends and allies from around the globe to protect vital assets.
    And we are honoured to have you here.
25. I’d like to wish all participants the very best for what I’m sure will be a very valuable exercise.
26. It’s now my pleasure to officially launch Cyber Storm II in Australia.