STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator CICCONE (Victoria) (13:58): Last week, leaders of the Five Eyes cybersecurity agencies issued a very important warning to our people, our businesses and governments: AI is rapidly transforming cyber risk and swift action is necessary. Through Horizon 2 of the Australian Cyber Security Strategy, the Albanese government is committed to scaling our cyber resilience across our economy, our society and our digital infrastructure.

Horizon 2 is about recognising that cyber risk can no longer be treated as a solely technical issue. It is a core risk and a responsibility for leaders in government and businesses right across the economy. In a modern economy, all professionals must also account for cyber risk in everything that they do.

This is why reinforcing our human firewall is key to the Horizon 2 Action Plan. Just as all professionals must account for cyber risk, all of government must factor AI into its work—both its potential and its risks. Faced with constantly evolving possibility and risks, it is important to remind ourselves, and those in the community, that the responsibility for all our security falls on all of us.