AUSTRALIA’S INTERNATIONAL CYBER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY The vast majority of cybercrime targeting Australia originates overseas. Cybercrime is a global threat, but our region is particularly vulnerable. Countries in the region lose a third more business revenue to cybercrime than those in the European Union or North America. Collectively, our region is only as resilient as our weakest link. Cybercriminals look to exploit the vulnerabilities of states in the early stages of developing the legislative and technical capabilities needed to fight cybercrime. These cybercrime safe havens are countries through or from which malicious cyber actors can conduct criminal operations with a very low risk of being identified, arrested, investigated, extradited or prosecuted. In 2016, more than half of the world’s netizens were found in the Indo‑Pacific. But only 1.8 billion of the region’s 4.1 billion people are yet online. This digital potential combined with the spread of ICT infrastructure and smart phone technology will produce a growing target audience for cybercriminals to exploit. It is in Australia’s interest to help our neighbours improve their ability to prevent and respond to cybercrime. Doing so will underpin regional economic growth and create a safer environment in which Australian businesses can prosper. 34 Cybercriminals operate globally, so Australia will respond in kind. We will deepen bilateral, regional and global partnerships to increase cooperation and build our collective capacity to combat this threat. Cybercrime is a shared challenge and Australia encourages other countries to take an active role in initiatives that address this international issue. Collaborative efforts to shut down safe havens complement Australia’s ongoing national efforts to protect Australians from the harm of cybercriminals. The 2016 Cyber Security Strategy committed the Government to enhance Australia’s ability to respond to cyber security threats, including cybercrime. In 2017, the Government directed the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) to use its offensive cyber capabilities to disrupt, degrade, deny and deter organised offshore cybercriminals. This capability is subject to stringent oversight, and consistent with domestic law and our obligations under international law. Strong cyber defences and law enforcement measures will continue to sit at the forefront of our response to cybercrime threats. Australia embraces a comprehensive strategy of strong cyber defences, regional capacity building and national law enforcement efforts in its fight against cybercrime.