Aussie Gov't Won't Help Fight Cyber Attacks

mask.of.sanity writes "Days after the Pentagon's #2 called for a NATO cyber-shield, the Australian government has announced it won't lift a finger to help the country's businesses to defend themselves against cyber attacks unless it presents a high risk to national security. Instead, Australia's security agencies will forge a response based on the 'pathology of the problem,' incorporating the risk the attack poses to government and the community. A senior security official said the government 'struggles to defend its own systems from the current threats,' let alone that of other industries. He went on to rubbish claims that existing military force strategies can be applied to cyber warfare, noting that the demarcation between civil attacks, such as domestic hacking, and those against nation-states, such as espionage, is blurry. Former US counter-terrorism advisor Richard Clarke said the US government has taken a similar line."

Comments

Re:What good would the government do anyway?

[couchslug]

"Sure if power plants are being attacked, the government would step in."

If powerplant controls are exposed to the internet, the government should "step in" to waterboard those responsible with battery acid.

There is NO excuse for vital infrastructure to be controlled via the internet. At all. Ever. People who expose it to the internet are worse than negligent and merit firing, public exposure, and blacklisting so they never work again in a position of responsibility.