Stay smart online

Launch of National E-Security Week, Sydney, 23 October 2006

Thank you

Introduction

The internet has changed the way that Australians to carry out everyday activities.

Banking, shopping, and communicating with family and friends have all become commonplace online.

But at the same time there are some risks that people need to guard against.

These range from scams which trick people into disclosing their personal information to malicious software which can creep onto a computer and steal information.

You only have to look at the example of the National Australia Bank last week to know that Australian consumers must remain vigilant.

A hoax e-mail was sent around by fraudsters designed to elicit details from customers including passwords and contained a link to a fake NAB website.

This demonstrates that more than ever it is essential that Internet users stay smart online and know how to implement basic security measures so they can protect themselves.

That is why today I am very pleased to be launching National E-Security Awareness Week.

National E-Security Awareness Week

The aim of the Awareness Week is to provide private users and small businesses with the information they need to use the Internet confidently and safely.

The main theme of the week is to encourage Australian internet users to ‘stay smart online’.

To stay safe online it is important to take basic measures like installing security software, keeping it up to date and thinking before clicking on an attachment or website link.

The IT industry, the financial sector, community organisations and government agencies have joined together to undertake a number of activities to increase awareness throughout the country during the Awareness Week.

For example, Abacus Australian Mutuals is working with the 135 credit unions and mutual building societies they represent to carry the Stay Smart Online message to their 4.5 million members.

And organisations such as the Australian Seniors Computing Association, E-Commerce Association of Central Victoria and the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry are holding seminars to educate Australians about online security.

I would like to thank all the organisations—and I am pleased to see many of them here today—who have contributed to National E-Security Awareness Week.

Themes of the Week

There are four key themes we are promoting this week.

The first is ‘How to protect your computer’.

This is targeted at small business to encourage them to protect their computers by installing security software such as anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and a firewall.

And because security threats are constantly changing, it is essential that Australians know the importance of keeping their security software up to date.

The second theme is ‘How to identify online security threats’.

There are a number of warning signs that users can look out for when online so they can spot scams trying to get personal information such as login details and credit cards numbers.

The third theme is ‘smart transactions online’.

The report, Trust and Growth in the Online Environment, which I released last year, indicated that 12.6 million Australians used the Internet in the 12 months to May 2005.

Ten million of these were online transactors, undertaking purchases, paying bills, banking or supplying personal information online.

These numbers indicate how embedded the internet has become in our daily activities and how important it is to keep these transactions safe.

The final theme for the Week is ‘Kids Safe Online’.

The Government recognises that children can be vulnerable, not only to offensive content but to online predators.

We take this issue very seriously and the Government has a comprehensive approach of legislating, regulating and educating protect consumers.

And we are backing that with our $116.6 million Protecting Australian Families Online package.

Under this program, the Government will establish a National Filter Scheme to make a free PC content filter available to every Australian family, and will ensure there are child-safe Internet terminals at all Australian public libraries.

We will also undertake a comprehensive information campaign to educate children and parents about the dangers online.

Stay smart online website

To further protect consumers I am also pleased this morning to launch The Stay Smart Online website.

The site, www.staysmartonline.gov.au, has been designed to provide home users and small businesses with basic, step by step information on e-security.

It also links to more detailed information provided by other government agencies, industry and the financial sector.

Australians can access a range of resources on the website including tips, interactive quizzes, and guides to help them stay smart online.

The layout of the website is based around three of the Awareness Week’s key themes: Securing Your Computer, Smart Transacting Online and Kids Safe Online.

Securing Your Computer outlines basic and more advanced steps that home users and small businesses can take to protect their computers online.

This is complemented by the Internet Industry Association’s Get Net Safe Initiative, which will be announced during E-Security Week and encourages Internet users to install and update security software.

A number of the Internet Industry Association’s members are offering free security software on a trial basis, which will assist in protecting against spam, viruses and spyware.

The Smart Transacting Online component of the website provides tips on how to bank and shop online safely while protecting personal information at the same time.

And The Kids Safe Online component will direct parents and teachers to resources provided by NetAlert and the Australian Communications and Media Authority to help them protect their children online.

Australia is also an active member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, which is made up of law enforcement agencies from Australia, the UK, the US and Canada all working together to fight child abuse online.

During E-security Awareness Week, I understand that NetAlert, Microsoft, NineMSN and the Virtual Global Taskforce are launching a national project aimed at promoting Internet safety training for parents, students and teachers and the general community. 

This is a very welcome multi-sector initiative – people need to be aware of issues such as cyber bullying and other threats to children in the online environment.

The ‘stay smart online’ website also contains an e-security update service, to provide home users and small businesses with easy to understand information on the latest e-security threats and what they can do about them.

Australians can sign up to receive these alerts via the website.

The development of the Stay Smart Online resources has been a collaborative process.

We have worked with the United States and the United Kingdom governments and we welcome some of the useful content they have made available.

And this is the first time that industry and Government have collaborated on such a scale to help Australians stay smart online.

The Government will continue to work with industry and community groups to make sure that the Internet remains a rewarding and secure environment for all.

We need to start thinking of online security in the same way we think about the security of our homes or our cars.

National E-security Awareness Week is a positive step toward making this a reality.

Thank you