Australia unveils joint cyber police taskforce to ‘seek out’ hackers By Reuters

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia on Saturday formalised a brand new cyber-policing mannequin in a stepped-up effort to “seek out” cyber prison syndicates, following current hacks impacting hundreds of thousands of Australians.

Australia’s greatest well being insurer, Medibank Non-public Ltd, final month was hit by a large cyber assault, as Australia grapples with an increase in damaging hacks.

No less than eight firms, together with Singapore Telecommunications-owned telecoms firm Optus, Australia’s second largest telco, have reported breaches since September.

On Saturday, Minister for Dwelling Affairs Clare O’Neil mentioned the federal government had formalised a everlasting partnership between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Indicators Directorate – which intercepts digital communications from overseas international locations – to do “new powerful policing” on cybercrime.

O’Neil mentioned round 100 officers can be a part of the brand new partnership between the 2 federal companies, which might act as “a joint standing operation in opposition to cyber prison syndicates”.

The taskforce would “day in, time out, seek out the scumbags who’re answerable for these malicious crimes”, she mentioned.

The announcement comes after AFP on Friday mentioned Russia-based hackers had been behind the assault on Medibank, which compromised knowledge from round 10 million present and former clients.

Legal professional Common Mark Dreyfus, talking alongside O’Neil in Melbourne, refused to be drawn on whether or not the ransomware group REvil was answerable for current cyber assaults on Australians.

“I will not be commenting on operational issues like that, however what we do know … is that it’s a very organised prison gang and that it’s situated in Russia,” Dreyfus mentioned.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has beforehand mentioned the federal government was doing all it might to restrict the impression of the Medibank hack and had arrange a cellphone service for affected clients to hunt assist from each the federal government and Medibank.