The Role of DSD in Protecting Australia's National Information Infrastructure (NII)

What is the NII?

The NII is the grouping of information networks essential to our society's well being.
It comprises telecommunications, banking and finance, transport and distribution, energy and utilities (electricity, oil, gas and water), information services, and other critical government services including defence and emergency services.

Many of these infrastructures were built quickly to meet demand and in some little priority was given to their security. With the recent explosive growth of the Internet, society has become more interconnected and the skills of users have increased substantially. Whilst this brings many new benefits to society, it also leaves the NII more vulnerable to attacks from hackers, criminals, terrorists and foreign powers.

What are we doing to protect it?

The Australian Government has recognised this emerging threat and has adopted a five-point strategy for the protection of the NII:

1. Policy development to include Commonwealth, industry and the States and Territories;
2. Information collection and analysis;
3. Defensive measures, including both protective security measures and awareness raising;
4. Response arrangements ranging from technical responses to single incidents to crisis management arrangements; and
5. Contingency planning covering both incidents and the wider impact of incidents.

DSD is working with the private sector and other government departments to progress these strategies.