On 4 September 2024, Australia, through the Department of Home Affairs, hosted the Cyber Champions Summit: ‘a bridge between the Transatlantic and Asia-Pacific’ in Sydney.
The Cyber Champions Summit (the summit) is an invitation only, like-minded forum. It is designed to bring together high-level national cyber policy coordinators and Government representatives from NATO Allies and Asia-Pacific partners, along with representatives from industry. The forum holds open and active discussions and shares experiences on the most relevant cybersecurity issues of the day. A feature of the 2024 Summit was a regional side event from the
Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI).
The Summit provides a platform for countries to share experiences and strengthen ties in developing joint projects in cyber defence and cyber security. It enables public and private sector representatives to discover new opportunities for cooperation to protect critical infrastructure more effectively and to accelerate the development of innovative solutions to increase our cyber resilience.
The 2024 Summit program covered issues including:
- the cyber threat landscape and cybercrime
- understanding emerging disruptive technologies and their impact on supply chain and cyber security vulnerabilities
- exploring opportunities to further cooperate in responding to cyber threats
- promoting international peace and stability in cyberspace.
Read the 2024 Cyber Champion Summit Vision Statement.
The 2024 Summit built on the momentum of the
inaugural Cyber Champions Summit hosted by Lithuania in Vilnius on 18 April 2023. Read the
2023 Cyber Champions Summit Chair’s Report.
Speakers
Mr Hamish Hansford, Deputy Secretary of Cyber and Infrastructure Security Group, Department of Home Affairs, Australia
LTGEN Michelle McGuinness CSC, National Cyber Security Coordinator, Department of Home Affairs, Australia
Mr Brendan Dowling, Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia
Mr Colin MacSween, Director General, National Cyber Security, National and Cyber Security Branch, Public Safety Canada
Ms Kelly Anderson, Director for International Cyber and Critical Technology Policy, Global Affairs Canada
Mr Keiichi Ichikawa, Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary and Deputy National Security Adviser, Cabinet Secretariat, Japan
Mr Rhee Dong-yeol, Ambassador for International Security Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea
Mrs Monika Koroliovienė, Deputy Minister of National Defence, Ministry of National Defence, The Republic of Lithuania
Mr Liudas Ališauskas, Director of National Cyber Security Centre, National Cyber Security Centre under the Ministry of National Defence, The Republic of Lithuania
Mr Ernst Noorman, Ambassador-at-Large for Cyber Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands
Mr James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Ms Philippa Cogswell, Vice President & Managing Partner for Unit 42 (JAPAC), Palo Alto Networks
Mr Will Middleton, Cyber Director, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, United Kingdom
Mr Iranga Kahangama, Assistant Secretary for Cyber, Infrastructure, Risk and Resilience, Department of Homeland Security, United States of America
Ms Liesyl Franz, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Cyberspace Security, Department of State, United States of America
Program
The two day program included a formal welcome reception and a keynote address by Mr James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber, North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The program also included discussions on the following themes:
-
International cooperation between Transatlantic and Asia-Pacific Partners
- Building global robustness: cooperation efforts and initiatives to address and respond to global cyber threats
- International cooperation mechanisms: Counter Ransomware Initiative/AUKUS/QUAD
- Strengthening public-private partnerships: existing and future cooperation solutions to address cyber threats, supply chain, talent shortages.
-
Regional Threats in West and East
- Worldwide technological ecosystem: governance through technology supply and ways to counterbalance
- Cyber warfare lessons in the war against Ukraine: malicious Russian activities in cyberspace
- Understanding and identifying malicious cyber activities: coordination on attribution and response.
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Protection of critical infrastructure from emerging technologies
- Critical infrastructure protection: adversaries and TTPs
- Emerging (disruptive) technologies: new risks or opportunities: AI and 5G technologies
- Supply chains' protection: vulnerabilities and ways to tackle them.
