The Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) says it welcomed the release of the federal government's 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy.
The Albanese Government announced the $586.9 million strategy this week, with almost $300 million committed to supporting small and medium businesses, building public awareness, fighting cybercrime, breaking the ransomware business model, and strengthening the security of Australians’ identities.
Over $140 million will be invested in critical infrastructure, with almost $130 million for regional cooperation.
MTAA said the national strategy follows the release of its Digital Health Report, which highlighted cyber security as an urgent national problem requiring immediate action.
MTAA CEO Ian Burgess said the MedTech industry commended the government’s investment in health-specific cyber security through a direct investment of $4.9 million to build a threat-sharing platform for the health sector.
“As the world we live in continues to be enveloped by digital technologies, the risks that come with the benefits of such changes requires real and coordinated responses from government and industry to protect information and people,” said Mr Burgess.
“We were pleased to see the Government has adopted our Report’s recommendation to implement a body similar to Singapore’s Cyber Security Labelling Scheme (CLS), which was developed in consultation with industry, and serves as an excellent example of a voluntary regulation that helps increase consumer trust in medical devices. This directly aligns with Australia’s own Strategy ‘to help consumers make informed choices about the security of devices on the market’.”