Federal Nationals Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan has welcomed a new push to crack down on cyber-criminals, saying it will help make our local community safer into the future.
The Coalition Government has launched Australia’s National Plan to Combat Cybercrime and opened a new Australian Federal Police-led centre dedicated to combatting online crime.
“We all know how much of our life is conducted online – from banking, to appointments and business transactions. That’s why cyber security is so vital. We must have the tools and capabilities to take down those who prey on people online. That’s always been the focus of our government,” Mr Conaghan said.
“The National Plan and our new dedicated law enforcement centre is another step to help keep Australians and their data safe.”
During the pandemic, cybercrime became one of the fastest growing forms of crime committed against Australians. The tools and techniques used to rob or extort Australians became more effective and more freely available.
The National Plan and the new AFP cybercrime centre bring together the experience, powers, capabilities and intelligence needed to build a strong response to cybercrime.
The Plan will support industries to grow online and build wider confidence in the digital economy. It will also secure safer online spaces for children. And it will provide more support for law enforcement to bring cyber criminals to justice.
“Using these new laws and high-end technical capabilities, police will aggressively target cyber threats and shut them down,” Mr Conaghan said.
The new centre – the Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) – is based in the AFP’s NSW Headquarters. It has been established with $89 million in funding provided through the NSW Nationals in the federal government’s $1.67 billion Cyber Security Strategy.
The National Plan to Combat Cyber Crime is available here:
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/criminal-justice/files/national-plan-combat-cybercrime-2022.pdf
