On November 22, 2023, the Australian Department of Home Affairs announced that the Government had released the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy (the Strategy). Specifically, the Strategy outlines Australia's plan to enhance cyber defenses to protect citizens and businesses and ensure rapid recovery from cyber attacks.

Cyber shields

Central to the Strategy are six 'cyber shields,' each adding a layer of defense against cyber threats and centering on cybersecurity. The cyber shields outlined in the Strategy are:

• strong businesses and citizens;
• safe technology;
• world-class threat sharing and blocking;
• protected critical infrastructure;
• sovereign capabilities; and
• resilient region and global leadership.

Phased implementation

The implementation of the Strategy will take place in three phases, from 2023 to 2030. The first phase (2023-2025) aims to strengthen the foundations of the nation's cyber defenses, focusing on filling critical gaps, protecting vulnerable groups, and increasing cyber maturity regionally. The second phase (2026-2028) will expand the Strategy's scope to enhance cyber maturity across the entire economy, through investments in the cyber ecosystem. The final phase (2029-2030) will concentrate on advancing the development of new, adaptable cyber technologies to address evolving risks and opportunities.

Accompanying the strategy is an Action Plan that provides a detailed roadmap for the initial phase, outlining specific actions and assigning responsibilities to various government agencies.

Consultation paper

Notably, the Government explained that it would release a consultation paper that would inform proposed legislative reform on new initiatives to address gaps in existing laws and amendments to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 to strengthen protections for critical infrastructure.

You can read the press release here, the Strategy here, and the Action Plan here.