The Australian government is set to introduce new criminal offences for cyber criminals involved in ransomware attacks as the country unveils its plan for dealing with the growing threat.
The country’s new Ransomware Action Plan sets out the government’s immediate strategic approach to tackle the threat posed by ransomware, building on the cyber security architecture implemented in the 2016 and 2020 Cyber Security Strategies.
The plan details that in the future, the government is looking at introducing legislative reforms to ensure cyber criminals are held to account for their actions, and harsher penalties apply to those who engage in ransomware or target the country’s critical infrastructure.
As part of the plan, the government wants to make it easier to tackle cryptocurrency transactions associated with the proceeds of ransomware crimes and bring in legislative changes so law enforcement can investigate and seize ransomware payments.
The plan also underlines the need for new laws to mandate ransomware incident reporting to the government and adds that it does not condone ransom payments being made to hackers. The report says this fuels the ransomware business model, putting other Australians at risk.
The government is also looking to use a new piece of legislation, the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act 2021, to give powers to Australian law enforcement to identify individuals and their networks engaging in serious criminal activity on the dark web through data disruption and account takeover powers.
“We are continuing to observe cybercriminals successfully use ransomware to disrupt services and steal from Australians,” said Karen Andrews, the minister for Home Affairs.
“Whether it is conducting attacks on critical infrastructure, taking from small businesses or targeting the most vulnerable members of our community, cybercriminals use ransomware to do Australians real and long-lasting harm. In response, the Australian Government is taking concrete action to protect Australians, including working with our international and business partners to combat this global threat.”
In June, Labour Shadow Assistant minister for Cyber Security Tim Watts introduced the Ransomware Payments Bill 2020, which would require organisations to disclose to the Australian Cyber Security Centre when they make ransomware payments. In a tweet, Watts said that it’s unlikely that any of the government’s Ransomware Action Plan will be legislated before Australia’s next election.
-
RSAC Conference day two: A focus on what attackers are doingFrom quantum to AI, experts discussed how new and experimental technologies could be used by hackers to access and decrypt sensitive data
-
The IT industry’s shift to circular, low-carbon solutionsMaximize your hardware investment and reach your sustainability goals with HP’s Renew Solutions
-
Ransomware attacks are rising — but quiet payouts could mean there's more than actually reportedNews Ransomware attacks continue to climb, but they may be even higher than official figures show as companies choose to quietly pay to make such incidents go away.
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolen – and security experts say it won't be the lastNews Hertz has confirmed it suffered a data breach as a result of the Cleo zero-day vulnerability in late 2024, with the car rental giant warning that customer data was stolen.
-
‘Phishing kits are a force multiplier': Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25 – and experts warn it’s lowering the barrier of entry for amateur hackersNews Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
-
Healthcare systems are rife with exploits — and ransomware gangs have noticedNews Nearly nine-in-ten healthcare organizations have medical devices that are vulnerable to exploits, and ransomware groups are taking notice.
-
Alleged LockBit developer extradited to the USNews A Russian-Israeli man has been extradited to the US amid accusations of being a key LockBit ransomware developer.
-
February was the worst month on record for ransomware attacks – and one threat group had a field day
News February 2025 was the worst month on record for the number of ransomware attacks, according to new research from Bitdefender.
-
CISA issues warning over Medusa ransomware after 300 victims from critical sectors impactedNews The Medusa ransomware as a Service operation compromised twice as many organizations at the start of 2025 compared to 2024
-
Warning issued over prolific 'Ghost' ransomware groupNews The Ghost ransomware group is known to act fast and exploit vulnerabilities in public-facing appliances
