A unique online counterpart event between Australia and Israel was held on July 1 with Yigal Unna, Director General of the Israel National Cyber Directorate and Dr Tobias Feakin, the Australian Ambassador for Cyber Affairs & Critical Technology providing their insights into a world where, according to Mr. Unna, “the cyber-attack surface is on steroids”.

Held in partnership with the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Israel-Australia Chamber of Commerce, Israel Trade Commission and MySecurity Media, the event proposed the theme: Has national cybersecurity awareness and resiliency improved in 2020 and is a new online posture necessary to better combat motivated and agile attackers?”

Mr Unna opened to outline the Israel National Cyber Directorate, directed still by a 2012 Cybersecurity Strategy, with a three pillar focus on protecting access to systems and reducing the attack surface, and more broadly ensuring the strategy is applied across the ICT space and telecommunications.

On a day described by the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a ‘pivotal day’, releasing the Australian Defence Strategy and Force Structure Plan, the Prime Minister confirmed there is rising strategic risk and we are in a “global contest of our age.”

In his opening address, Ambassador Feakin provided deep insights into how Australia is dedicating significant funding towards enhanced cybersecurity and how Covid19 has rapidly accelerated business digitalisation, bringing enhanced cybersecurity risks due to immediate implementation needs. The challenge in Australia relates to both how fast cyber-attacks can be detected and how fast they can be responded to.

Each guest presenter confirmed electronic warfare is becoming more sophisticated and more prevalent and how ‘offensive vs defensive’ activity is a key resource consideration. The speed of attribution will become a focus of future cybersecurity defence and the role of the private sector in supporting national cyber security and delivering services will continue to increase.

The session closed with consideration to the national responsibility for cybersecurity and setting ground rules for enforcement and having a deterrent capability is critically important. In particular, as technology across a wide range of domains rapidly advances.

Both Australia and Israel have advanced cybersecurity capabilities, but never has there been such a demand and never has it been more important.  Future and further collaboration is undoubtedly mutually beneficial.

Podcast is an edited version. The full recorded Webinar session, held July 1, 2020, is available for viewing here