A/66/152 General appreciation of the issues of information security Australia recognizes cybersecurity as a top-tier national security priority. The global community continues to experience an increase in the scale, sophistication and successful perpetration of cybercrime. As the quantity and value of electronic information has increased, so too have the efforts of criminals and other malicious actors who have embraced the Internet as a more anonymous, convenient and profitable way of carrying on their activities. Confronting and managing these risks must be balanced against individual civil liberties, including the right to privacy, and the need to promote efficiency and innovation to ensure that Australia realizes the full potential of the digital economy. Australia’s, and each individual nation’s, national security, economic prosperity and social well-being are critically dependent upon the availability, integrity and confidentiality of a range of information and communications technologies. In response, the Australian Government has committed significant resources to proactively promote the maintenance of a trusted, secure and resilient electronic operating environment for the benefit of all users. While the Australian Government’s cybersecurity policy is primarily concerned with the availability, integrity and confidentiality of Australia’s information and communications technologies, it is coordinated with those of other related policies and programmes such as cybersafety, which is focused on protecting individuals, especially children, from offensive content, bullying, stalking or “grooming” online for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Efforts taken at the national level to strengthen information security and promote international cooperation in the field Domestic efforts to strengthen information security Australia recognizes that it must model best practice domestically to be able to promote international cooperation in cyberspace. Australia has a government-led, integrated approach to protecting and strengthening cybersecurity. In 2009, the Government released its inaugural cybersecurity strategy that articulates the overall aim and objectives of the Australian Government’s cybersecurity policy and sets out the strategic priorities that the Australian Government will pursue to achieve these objectives. The strategy also describes the key actions and measures that will be undertaken through a comprehensive body of work across the Australian Government to achieve these strategic priorities. The aim of Australia’s cybersecurity policy is to maintain a trusted, secure and resilient electronic operating environment that supports Australia’s national security and maximizes the benefits of the digital economy. Key initiatives of the strategy include the establishment of two mutually supporting organizations: a new national computer emergency response team and the Cyber Security Operations Centre. Established in 2010, the computer emergency response team provides a single point of contact for cybersecurity information for all Australians and Australian businesses and ensures that Australian Internet users have access to information on cyberthreats, vulnerabilities in their systems and information on how to better protect their information and communications technologies. The team maintains close working relationships with owners and operators of critical infrastructure and businesses that operate systems important to Australia’s national interest. It provides 11-41691 3