Telstra boss Andy Penn says malicious cyber criminals are becoming more brazen and sophisticated in targeting governments,businesses and global supply chains.Credit:Eamon Gallagher
“In certain circumstances,yes,ultimately,there has to be some degree of legal liability,” Mr Penn said on Thursday.
“In egregious situations where the exposure to cyber risk is potentially a threat to national security or it’s a threat to health or safety or otherwise and there has been complete negligence towards ensuring that there are some basic cyber defences in place,then I think directors obviously have to be responsible.”
He cautioned against using “just the stick” to try to change the landscape,stressing that making businesses more aware of cyber-security threats was critical to helping prevent attacks.
Loading
His remarks followed a speech to the National Press Club on Thursday in his capacity as chair of the Cyber Security Industry Advisory Committee,set up last year by the federal government to help implement its new cyber-security strategy. Mr Penn echoed the government’s warnings that malicious cyber criminals were becoming more brazen and sophisticated in targeting governments,businesses and global supply chains.
“More abundant and better-resourced cyber criminals,cyber activists and increasingly emboldened state actors,mean Australia and Australians are quite literally under constant cyber attack,” he said.
He revealed Telstra had been working with the government to monitor threats to Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine supply chain but would not confirm whether any attempted attacks had occurred.