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While previous Federal Budgets have had varying levels of focus on boosting Australia’s cyber security, the 2025 budget adds nothing to the nation’s cyber resilience.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has delivered his third federal budget, and while 2023 and 2024 saw significant investments in cyber security, the 2025 budget is remarkably light on investing any further in protecting the nation from a growing raft of cyber threats.
In fact, the word ‘cyber’ is mentioned exactly six times in the Budget Overview document – and all in one paragraph detailing the government’s “Digital and cyber security supports”.
“Since the 2023-24 Budget, the Government has committed more than $60 million to help small businesses uplift their digital and cyber security capabilities through the Digital Solutions program, Cyber Wardens program, Small Business Cyber Resilience Service and Cyber Health Check,” the Overview reads.
“Together, these programs help small businesses adopt digital tools and grasp the opportunities that going online offers, and prevent and bounce back from cyber attacks.”
To be fair, 2023 saw the government release its 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy, and the massive REDSPICE program was launched the year before. Then, in 2024, Service Australia received a $1.8 billion investment that included cyber security uplift, and the ATO received a cyber security funding boost to fight fraud.
Artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and any other digital investments are similarly thin on the ground.
In what is clearly an election budget, the government no doubt considers there are better places to invest in the hopes of securing votes from an electorate hammered by the cost of living crisis.
We’re collecting the industry’s thoughts on this year’s spending – or lack thereof – for another Industry Speaks feature in the coming days, so come soon.
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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