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The Department of Home Affairs has revealed a new campaign addressing the need for individuals to secure themselves and their information early before it’s too late.
The campaign titled “Act Now, Stay Secure” demonstrates the importance of not shrugging off basic cyber security measures to be done later.
In a series of videos, the campaign shows that securing your data is relatively easy and that personal security can be greatly enhanced with only a few simple steps, but that the consequences of not doing so are dire.
According to a release by the Department of Home Affairs, “one cyber crime is reported every six minutes, with ransomware causing up to $3 billion in damages to the Australian economy every year”.
The videos address three key ways in which individuals can keep themselves safe from cyber threats – enabling multifactor authentication, installing the latest software updates, and using strong passphrases.
The campaign was announced by both the national cyber security coordinator and the Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security, Clare O’Neil.
“Our cyber challenges are really significant, but I want Australians to understand they have power here. The vast majority of cyber attacks can be prevented by taking some quick and simple steps,” said Minister O’Neil.
“We’re taking huge strides towards our goal of being one of the most cyber secure nations on earth by 2030, but individual actions will always form the foundation of that security.
“Talk to your family, talk to your community, we can all help each other to be more secure.”
All three clips highlight the potentially life-ruining consequences of not prioritising basic cyber security, particularly financial loss, which can snowball into homelessness, mental health issues and more.
The Australian government has released “Act Now, Stay Secure” videos in previous years, stressing the speed at which cyber criminals are advancing their operations.
The new campaign builds upon the government’s goal to make Australia the most cyber secure nation in the world by 2030, as outlined in the Australian 2023–2030 Cyber Security Strategy.
The first stage or “Horizon” of the strategy is to “strengthen our foundations”, which will see the government “address critical gaps in our cyber shields, build better protections for our most vulnerable citizens and businesses, and support initial cyber maturity uplift across our region” from 2023 to 2025.
Enhancing the cyber maturity of the nation on an individual level by teaching them security practices and stressing the urgency of putting such measures in place is of utmost importance, and the goal of the new “Act Now, Stay Secure” campaign, which will run until 30 June 2024.
The announcement of the campaign is also one of the first posts made by the National Cyber Security Coordinator page since Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness was appointed to the role.
LTGEN McGuinness began in the role on Monday, 26 February, replacing acting coordinator Hamish Hansford, who stepped into the role following the nation’s inaugural coordinator, Air Marshal Darren Goldie, being recalled to Defence for a “workplace matter” in November last year. He was first appointed in June 2023.
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