AUSTRALIA GOVERNMENT TO UPGRADE COMPUTER SECURITY PROTECTIONThe Australian: More security for Government PCs [November 26, 2004]More security for Government PCs

November 26, 2004
THE Federal Government will pay experts to upgrade its computer security in a bid to ward off any future attempts of hacking or cyber terrorism.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said the Government would protect its critical networks through the Computer Network Vulnerability Assessment program.

Specialist computer experts would be employed to identify vulnerabilities in the systems that support the provision of essential services to Australians, Mr Ruddock said.

"The growth in the use of the internet and the development of high-speed connections between computer systems has transformed the way that organisations, companies and governments share information and do business," he said.

"While the benefits have been enormous, this reliance on high-speed connections between computer systems and the internet is not without its risks."

Computer systems could be attacked and disabled in many ways by deliberate criminal acts such as hacking and cyber terrorism or by the accidental or deliberate distribution of a computer virus, he said.

Mr Ruddock said the CNVA program would identify weaknesses in existing computer networks and test systems to see how they can be compromised.

"This will provide the government and the owners and operators of computer systems with valuable information on how to better protect their networks," he said.