Traditionally, governments can use regulation to create societal rules that help ensure the trustworthy and predictable behaviour of others; however, technologies ever evolving nature may quickly make regulations redundant.  In addition, the global nature of hardware and software manufacture can resist regulations developed for small economies, as manufacturers tend to focus their development for the needs of larger economies.  This is further complicated as our use of technology cannot be predicted and technologies designed with one purpose in mind are quickly reused in ways and environments that were never intended.

Another mechanism that can assist with creating predictable behaviour is the use of globally accredited standards.  Industries such as the finance and transport sectors use standards to describe how their systems will interconnect and conduct business in a trustworthy and predictable manner.  However, these standards can be slow to develop and implementations of these standards can vary between organisations.  Finally, what is the right balance between organisations voluntarily complying with standards or external accreditation and auditing?

As cyberspace becomes more and more embedded into our daily life we need to ensure a balance between innovation and trust is maintained.  Traditionally cyberspace has a ‘buyer beware’ mentality that relied upon the technical competence often held by early adopters and a generally benign environment. However as more and more non technical people use cyberspace how can standards and/or regulation assist them to determine if the equipment or service that they are using is worthy of their trust?

• What is the right balance of standards and regulation?
• What is the role of governments and businesses in developing and ensuring compliance with standards?
• How can the public be made aware of the role and limits of standards and/or regulations?

Acknowledgement: Thanks to the Cyber Security and Identity Security Branch in the Attorney-General’s Department for their assistance with this post.

Governments around the world are realising the economic value of the public sector information that they hold, with 16 countries launching major open access initiatives.  In the United Kingdom (http://data.gov.uk) and Australia (http://data.gov.au), machine-readable data is being provided for use. AusGrid in Australia is providing data from their smart grid project for use in applications designed to empower consumers’ choice on how they use electricity.  

Globally, more and more people are taking advantage of the development of the knowledge economy to look up a map or buy a movie ticket at their convenience.  Mobile devices are leading the way in exploring new ways to deliver services.  Most banks now offer smartphone applications (apps) for their customers to manage their accounts or locate services such as ATMs and the nearest branch.  Government is also using mobile technology to supply information to the public. For instance, Lane Cove Council has developed an app for residents to locate a parking spot at local shopping centres.

As significant creators and users of information, businesses and governments around the world have an opportunity to foster this new knowledge based industry.  However, these new industries need to ensure the appropriate guardianship of the sensitive information provided by individuals, businesses and governments.  Increasingly, we are seeing public attention over how their information is broadcasted, gathered, aggregated and used.  How information is managed, balancing privacy, accessibility and security, is a critical issue for this new economy. 

Significantly, how do we assure the age, accuracy and completeness of the information used to create a knowledge service?  Services based on poor data may cause harm and ultimately undermine the public’s confidence in these services.  In addition, organisations may be concerned that connecting datasets will highlight embarrassing or sensitive information. 

• What new opportunities does the knowledge economy offer for our social and economic wellbeing?
• How do we support the development of these innovative services while balancing privacy and innovation?
• What expectations do people have of governments, business and social media sites when handling and using the data they generate?

Being flexible with one’s identity is a useful human skill and allows the formation of productive communities. It allows you to be part of a community group or school and separate that from who you are at work or at home. The ability to be anonymous on-line is a valuable commodity. Citizens and consumers must retain the right to express views or carry out their day-today activities online without fear their activities are being tracked by governments or private sector entities.

However, for some interactions, businesses and governments need to have a high level of trust in the identities of the people are dealing with online, particularly when those interactions involve money or sensitive information (like a person’s medical history). Both parties to any transaction need to be able to have confidence in the security of the transaction. For the business or government agency, they need to be able to confirm who it is they are dealing with. For the citizen, they have a right to know that any personal information that they disclose will be appropriately protected.

One of the emerging risks of online engagement is the increasing potential for our privacy and identity to be compromised. The use of ‘socially engineered’ emails, data mining, online scams, the hacking of your home computer or simply the information on your Facebook account or other places where you share information online, criminals and others have increasing opportunities to steal or misuse your identity.

A survey undertaken by the Attorney-General’s Department in 2011 http://bit.ly/nDE57z  indicated that 92% of Australians are concerned about identity crime and misuse.  The survey also indicated that one in six Australians have been personally affected by identity crime and misuse, or know someone who has within the last 6 months. Internationally, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a global leader in the fight against international crime, has suggested that identity crime is the crime of the 21st century.

As we move to an economy and society which is increasingly mediated and underpinned by digital technologies, we need to ensure that citizens retain the right to remain anonymous and form as many online personas as they like. Reciprocally, we need to ensure that there are mechanisms in place to allow for citizens, businesses and governments to trust the identities they are dealing with and that these trusted identities are protected.

• What can be done to reduce the growth in identity crime and misuse?
• Do you feel Australians have the necessary awareness, skills and education to protect their private information and prevent identity theft and misuse?
• How can governments, industry and individuals work together to develop approaches to reducing identity crimes?

Acknowledgement: Thanks to the Identity Security Policy Team in the Attorney-General’s Department for their assistance with this post.

This of course does and will continue to have a profound impact on our society, our economic prosperity, and our broader national interests.

The growth of the Internet and associated technologies offers many opportunities for individuals and businesses.  It allows us to communicate faster, to access a host of services more efficiently, and enables us to be more flexible about not only how we work, but where we work.  It is central to how we communicate, how we learn, and how we play.

But the growing interdependencies in cyberspace also highlight a number of risks that need to be managed.  Cyberspace is used routinely by states to carry out espionage; by organised criminal syndicates to conduct fraud and identity theft; by motivated groups seeking to cause disruption to the government and private sector; and by individuals seeking to exploit a range of vulnerabilities for personal gain.

This means that we need to be aware of what the risks are, how we can build our knowledge, education and skills, and how we can work more cooperatively across government, businesses and the community.

With the roll-out of the NBN, the explosion of social media, the growing importance of cyberspace to our national economy and the ongoing need to strengthen the security of our networks, we need to provide a coherent, long-term vision for how Australia can optimise the many benefits of cyberspace so that we can connect with confidence.

That is why the government is developing Australia’s first ever Cyber White Paper.

So what will the Cyber White Paper do?

The Cyber White Paper will look at a number of issues.

It will describe what the current and future cyber environment looks like.  What are the opportunities?  What are the risks?  What do governments, businesses and individuals need to be aware of?

It will look at how we can build a more enduring and strategic partnership with industry and the Australian community so that we can address issues of mutual importance into the future.

It will examine how we can build a public policy framework that strengthens trust and confidence in the online environment.

It will help clarify roles and responsibilities across the Commonwealth Government, with states and territories, with industry and with the public.

And it will also examine our cyber arrangements within an international context.