Tackling the problem of cybercrime

This week the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications tabled its report of the inquiry into cybercrime.

Last year Microsoft presented at the public hearing of the inquiry and stated that alongside the incredible advances from technology comes the inevitable increase in the level of risk to individuals, business and governments.

Our testimony outlined that the rapid advances in software, IT services and communications have enabled many traditionally separate and disparate infrastructures and business operations to become more connected and therefore more vulnerable to online crime and sophisticated cyber attacks.

The report refers to our submission which called on the Australian Government to consider a more expansive strategy and create a “Cyber Tzar,” located in Prime Minister and Cabinet and a strategy that engages all elements of national power.

Our submission also raised concern about the apparent inconsistency of computer offences across Australian jurisdictions. For example, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory have implemented the Model Criminal Code and established computer offences materially similar to the federal provisions.

The report also noted our proposal for “an identity metasystem that would connect, but not replace, all current online authorisation procedures. Every time a user needed to provide authentication they would do so by entering various identifiers into a standard interface, instead of arbitrary details through an interface unique to each online service. In turn, this interface would use the identity metasystem to interact with the appropriate webpage or application to notify if the authentication was successful.” Such a system would allow users to employ verifiable details to complete a range of different authentication procedures through one standard interface, which would strengthen security and privacy, and reduce susceptibility to phishing schemes.

For more information on our recommendations that we provided to the inquiry visit: https://www.microsoft.com/australia/government/publicaffairs/resources.mspx

Sassoon Grigorian, Manager, Government Affairs