RIM pitches for govt cybersafety rebates

Research In Motion (RIM) is asking the Federal Government to provide rebates to Australian companies that undertake programs to shore up internal cybersecurity.

Adele Beachley
(Screenshot by Luke Hopewell/ZDNet Australia)

Adele Beachley, managing director of RIM Australia and New Zealand at the time of RIM's submission to the government's whitepaper, said that comprehensive security standards and software designed to protect government and enterprise often aren't put in place in Australia due to their prohibitive costs.

Beachley proposed that the government provide rebates in the form of tax offsets for companies that shore up their cyberdefences.

"The Australian Government can help 'tip the balance' in favour of implementation by adopting incentives to encourage private companies to improve cybersecurity. Potential incentives could take the form of tax incentives or government grants or targeted cybersecurity-related initiatives that meet national and internationally recognised security standards. These incentives should be largely voluntary, recognising that most critical infrastructures are privately owned," Beachley said in RIM Australia's submission to the government's Cyber White Paper initiative.

Beachley also proposed that the government incentivise the training of staff to recognise and avoid social-engineering attacks. The executive cited research from Cisco saying that "62 per cent of IT decision makers view employee training as the most important way to enhance security within their organisations", adding that this training is essential for all organisations.

"RIM considers that it is critical for the Australian Government to support this type of training within public- and private-sector organisations, either through tax credits or other incentives."

RIM also recommends that the government educate the public in the same way on cybersafety. It praised the efforts of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in educating Australia through various cybersafety campaigns.

The Federal Government opened up its Cyber White Paper for public comment in September, and has received over 120 submissions from companies, including RIM, Facebook, Microsoft and Google.