The federal government will provide $42.4 million to the Department of Home Affairs to secure critical infrastructure assets and help owners and operators respond to major cyber attacks. The funding, revealed in the budget on Tuesday, comes ahead of the introduction of the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020, which is currently before parliament.
If passed, the bill will enable Australia's cyber spooks to direct operators of systems of national significance to undertake prescribed activities such as vulnerability assessments and cyber security exercises.
In exception circumstances, the legislation will also allow the government to intervene in a cyber incident that is deemed particularly serious.
Budget papers reveal the funding – to be provided over two years – will be used to “improve security arrangements for critical assets”, including those deemed systems of national significance....MORE
