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these businesses with targeted information about cybersecurity threats and
vulnerability to assist in better protecting their information and communications
technologies infrastructure. The operations centre, also established in 2010, provides
the Australian Government with all-source cybersituational awareness and an
enhanced ability to facilitate operational responses to cybersecurity events of
national importance. The Centre identifies and analyses sophisticated cyberattacks
and assists in responding to cyberevents across government and critical private
sector systems and infrastructure.
A key priority of the strategy is to educate and empower all Australians with
the information, confidence and practical tools to protect themselves online. The
strategy is guided by the principle of shared responsibility where all users, in
enjoying the benefits of information and communications technologies, should take
reasonable steps to secure their own systems, should exercise care in the
communication and storage of sensitive information and have an obligation to
respect the information and systems of other users. To enable individuals to play an
active role in information security, it is essential individuals maintain an awareness
and understanding of the cyberenvironment and its risks. To achieve this, Australia
has an ongoing programme of awareness-raising, which includes a website for
cybersecurity information for Australian home users and small businesses, including
for those with limited cyberknowledge and skills (see www.staysmartonline.gov.au)
and a cybersecurity awareness week conducted in partnership with business,
consumer groups and community organizations. The awareness week helps
Australians to understand cybersecurity risks and educates home and small business
users on the simple steps they can take to protect their personal and financial
information online. During the 2010 National Cyber Security Awareness Week
around 150 government agencies, industry, community and consumer organizations
partnered to deliver events and activities in metropolitan, regional and rural
Australia. In 2011, the awareness week was held from 30 May to 4 June.
In acknowledging that the security of cyberspace is a shared responsibility, the
Australian Government has worked proactively with the Internet Industry
Association to develop an innovative voluntary Internet service provider
cybersecurity code of practice (the “icode”), which commenced in December 2010.
The code provides a consistent approach for Australian Internet service providers to
help inform, educate and protect their clients in relation to cybersecurity issues.
Australia has presented on the successful implementation of the code and shared its
lessons learned from developing this code in multilateral forums. Presentations have
been made in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) Working Party on Information Security and Privacy in December 2010, the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Telecommunications and Information
Working Group and the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity. Australia is eager to share this
code with other States, through bilateral capacity-building exercises and multilateral
forums, to assist other States in better collaborating with Internet service providers
and to make those providers more responsible for educating and protecting endusers.
Promotion of international cooperation
Australia gives high priority to international cooperation on cybersecurity.
Given the transnational nature of the Internet, in which effective cybersecurity
requires coordinated global action, Australia has adopted an active, multilayered
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