Australia experienced more than 94,000 cybercrime reports in the past financial year — a number that doesn't capture the vast majority of incidents that go unreported. From hospital systems to water infrastructure, our critical national assets are under constant digital siege, yet our policy response remains fragmented and underfunded.
The government's 2023-2030 Cyber Security Strategy was a promising start, but implementation has been slow. What we need urgently is a properly resourced National Cyber Command, modelled on similar bodies in the US and UK, capable of coordinating defence, intelligence, and civilian response in real time.
The economic cost of cybercrime to Australia now exceeds $33 billion annually. This is not a technology problem — it is a national security problem, and it demands national leadership.
