AUSTRALIA’S INTERNATIONAL CYBER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY Australia remains committed to a peaceful online environment. The activities of states in cyberspace have implications for us all. Cyberspace is not an ungoverned space. Just like in the physical domains, states have rights but they also have obligations. Existing international law applies to states’ conduct in cyberspace, complemented by agreed norms of responsible state behaviour. Increasingly, states are testing the boundaries of what is and isn’t acceptable in cyberspace. Australia will cooperate with its international partners to deter, mitigate and attribute malicious cyber activity by criminals, state actors and their proxies, including those that seek to interfere in the internal democratic processes of states. Australia’s cyber affairs agenda is global in perspective and regional in focus. As a responsible contributor to the international community, we have a platform to engage on cyber policy issues within global forums. Strong participation in global cyber cooperation efforts benefits Australia’s national and economic interests. It also positions Australia to take a leading international role in shaping the future of cyberspace. The Indo-Pacific region presents significant digital opportunities and complex cyber challenges. It is home to some of the most advanced digital economies as well as countries whose digital development is still in its early stages. It is here, in the Indo-Pacific, that Australia can best leverage our cyber capacity building resources to support and open, free and secure Internet. 6 Digital technologies are profound enablers of sustainable development and economic growth. Australia will work to improve connectivity and access to the Internet across the Indo-Pacific. We will encourage the use of resilient development-enabling technologies for egovernance and digital delivery of services. We will also support entrepreneurship, help develop a digital ready workforce and promote our region’s further integration into the global market place. This Strategy sets out Australia’s plan to promote confidence in the online environment, increase economic opportunities, reduce losses attributable to cybercrime, minimise the risks of strategic miscalculation in cyberspace, promote multi-stakeholder Internet governance, protect human rights online and deliver sustainable development outcomes. I look forward to engaging with governments at home and abroad, the private sector, civil society and academia to enhance the prosperity and security of Australia, our region, and the world. The Hon Julie Bishop MP Minister for Foreign Affairs 4 October 2017