AUSTRALIA’S INTERNATIONAL CYBER AND CRITICAL TECH ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY a framework to guide Australia’s international engagement across the spectrum of cyber and critical technology issues in support of this vision, and the practical actions Australia will take to advance our objectives. The Australian Government defines critical technologies as those technologies with the capacity to significantly enhance, as well as pose risks to, Australia’s national interests, including our prosperity, society and national security. Cyberspace has become such a critical element of Australia’s prosperity that many – if not all – of the information and communications technologies that underpin it are considered critical technologies. Since 2017, the world’s reliance on cyberspace has grown. The experience of COVID-19, in which millions of people around the world found themselves even more dependent on cyberspace for work, education, tele-health, shopping and social engagement, further highlights our reliance on digital connectivity. Australia and our international friends, partners and allies must shape the design, development and use of technology to reflect our values and interests. If we fail, we face a more uncertain future and increasing difficulties in protecting our prosperity, security, and sovereignty. Senator the Hon Marise Payne Minister for Foreign Affairs Minister for Women 6