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The Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police has given a speech to the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FELEG) in Melbourne, focusing on the importance of looking ahead to future challenges and those represented in the present by foreign opponents, both criminal and state-backed.
“We are facing an uncertain world and constant technological advancements,” Commissioner Reece Kershaw told a room full of law enforcement officials.
“So to have a better chance at being in control of our own destiny, we must be unapologetically proactive and innovative in how we identify and disrupt threats.”
Kershaw called out a number of challenges facing the AFP and its fellow FELEG agencies, key among them the growing nature of the technological threats facing the countries of the alliance. Anticipating and countering these new threats is one of the main roles of the Criminal Intelligence Advisory Group (CIAG).
“CIAG will produce the intelligence to enable FELEG to embark on blue-sky thinking and a long-range strategy to better protect democracy and the public from foreseeable harm,” Kershaw said.
“CIAG is already telling us where the intelligence gaps are, where to focus, and the new methodologies enabling crime in supply chains, financial systems and communications.
“It is identifying opportunities to collaborate with academia, industry and the private sector — such as social media platforms — to let them know how their business is being used by criminals, some operating covertly.”
Kershaw noted that “technology can be an asset and adversary”. It is, he believes, how new technologies are harnessed that really matters.
“Privacy is being demanded by the public, and given recent cyber attacks, they are rightly concerned about how their data is used and stored, as well as technology that is ever emerging,” Kershaw told his audience.
“Artificial intelligence is something at the forefront of my mind — not just how we harness it, but how we combat it.”
Kershaw also talked up how recent investment in the AFP will help it continue to combat crime both here and abroad.
“Just this week, the Australian government provided a significant budget injection to the AFP, including $317 million over four years for an AFP Pacific Police Partnership Program,” Kershaw noted.
“In numbers, we are small, but I am pleased to announce that the government continues to invest in the AFP, and as a result of Tuesday’s budget, we are likely to reach a headcount of almost 8,000.”
And those numbers will be needed, Kershaw said, as more and more state-based actors target Australia and its allies.
“Our intelligence shows us that state actors are using and profiting from organised crime, and organised crime can have the resources of state actors,” Kershaw said.
“Some actors are deploying hackers to attack our critical infrastructure and our businesses, and some are trafficking illicit drugs into countries to deliberately create instability, corrupt officials, and corrode democratic values.
“And I want to call that out tonight. There are countries that direct, engage or turn a blind eye to organised crime because it suits their political motives.”
With the assistance of CIAG, the FELEG agencies will be able to “disrupt earlier and prevent targets from taking a foothold in our countries”.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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