What is Australia's policy on cybersecurity?

What is Australia's policy on cybersecurity is outlined in the Australian Cyber Security Strategy 2023-2030 released in November 2023, which is the most comprehensive policy to date. The strategy has a vision to make Australia a world leader in cybersecurity by 2030 and is backed by $2.3 billion investment. It has six cyber shields. Shield 1 is strong businesses and citizens, requiring businesses to improve security, mandatory reporting of ransomware payments, and support for small businesses with free cyber health checks via cyber.gov.au. Shield 2 is safe technology, with mandatory cyber security standards for smart devices and software, and a code of practice for app stores. Shield 3 is world-class threat sharing and blocking, with Australian Signals Directorate and Australian Cyber Security Centre actively blocking malicious websites and sharing threat intelligence. Shield 4 is protected critical infrastructure, with Security of Critical Infrastructure Act requiring 11 sectors including energy, water, health, banking and telecoms to have risk management programs and report incidents. Shield 5 is sovereign capabilities, growing the cyber workforce to 1.2 million professionals, investing in quantum and AI security, and supporting Australian cyber companies. Shield 6 is resilient region and global leadership, working with Pacific and Quad partners. Other key policies include Notifiable Data Breaches scheme under Privacy Act requiring reporting of data breaches within 72 hours, and Cyber Security Act 2024 which introduces mandatory security standards for smart devices and mandatory ransomware reporting.