2. Empower vulnerable communities to grow their cyber literacy The Government will empower community organisations to deliver tailored cyber awareness campaigns to diverse groups, funded by a community grant program. This program will allow local community leaders to tailor cyber awareness campaigns to the unique needs of diverse cohorts – such as remote and regional communities, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, First Nations communities, young people, seniors, people with disability and neuro-diverse people. Through this program, Government will collaborate with community leaders to develop bespoke strategies and materials to more effectively engage these groups. This program will be coordinated with other awareness campaigns, such as on scams, to ensure that these communities receive clear and consistent advice. 3 Disrupt and deter cyber threat actors from attacking Australia The problem we face Cybercrime, including ransomware and cyber extortion, can cause large-scale harm to the Australian economy and national security. Cyberspace is borderless: malicious state actors and cybercriminals can compromise systems and technologies at distance and at scale. Such attacks often require minimal technical expertise and few resources, yet can have a major impact – potentially crippling core business functions and critical services like our telecommunication networks, health system, food supply chains and educational institutions. Cybercrime is causing significant disruption to our economy. From mid-2022 to mid-2023, the cost of cybercrime for Australian businesses rose by 14%. The average cost of cybercrime for small businesses is now $46,000; $97,200 for medium businesses; and $71,600 for large businesses.5 These cyber attacks on our businesses, democratic institutions and critical infrastructure are unacceptable. Rules and law apply online, just as they do offline. How the Government will take action The Australian Government recognises the significant impact cybercrime can have on individuals. Responsibility for cyber deterrence should sit with those most capable of taking defensive action, so the Government will use all lawful and appropriate levers to deter and disrupt cybercrime. Under this initiative, the Government will: 1. Build our law enforcement and offensive capabilities We will amplify our domestic law enforcement and offensive cyber activities to make Australia a harder target for cyber criminals. We approach this task from a position of strength: Australia is considered a world leader in our investigatory powers and criminalisation frameworks to combat cybercrime. 5. ASD (2023). ASD Cyber Threat Report 2022–2023. 20 2023–2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy