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US and Australia team up on cybersecurity standards

The Australian Minister of Defence has said that, as part of a joint-defence agreement, Australia and the US will be collaborating on cybersecurity measures
Written by Colin Ho, Contributor

Australian Minister of Defence Stephen Smith said in an interview on Monday that Australia and the US will be working together on a defensive stance towards cybersecurity.

Following recent visits by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Smith said that Australia will be developing cybersecurity measures with the US as part of a joint-defence agreement that gives America access to Australian military ports, bases and facilities. "We're working closely with America, seeing what we can do to try and develop international norms on the use of cyberspace and attacks in cyberspace," he said.

Smith said he wanted to bring Australia's "expertise" to the table in working with the United States. "We're trying to see whether we can, together with the United States, bring our own expertise to try and develop some international practices and international norms that will serve nations well, but also serve individuals and companies well," he said.

For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Oz, US aim for cyber shields, not weapons on ZDNet Australia.

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