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There have been calls for the Medibank hackers to be the initial targets after the Australian government said it is thinking about deploying new sanctions powers against cyber-attackers for the first time.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade revealed that it has now given Penny Wong, the minister, advice on how to use these cyber-related authorities in an unusual open statement.
“The department routinely advises ministers on possible sanctions measures, including cyber sanctions,” Wong stated in a recently filed response to a notice-related Senate question.
According to a DFAT spokesperson, the government “keeps its sanctions settings under consideration,” and the law permits sanctions to be applied in response to severe cyber incidents.
“However, the administration would not speculate about individual listings in advance,” the spokesperson added.
James Paterson, the shadow minister for cybersecurity, expressed encouragement and optimism that the administration will follow this course.
“Of course, the opposition would provide robust bipartisan support for any cyber sanctions they choose to propose,” Paterson said, who obtained the confirmation through the Senate estimates procedure.
Paterson also said that the most likely starting point for such sanctions would be cyber incidents to which the Australian government has already publicly assigned blame, such as those Russian criminals behind the Medibank breach.
“In the words of the government, these criminals have done things that other cybercriminals are unwilling to do, which is target people’s personal health information and release it on the dark web to punish people,” he said.
The government has not yet identified the people it holds accountable for the “totally reprehensible” publishing of private health data obtained from Medibank. It is believed to contain treatments claimed by policyholders linked to miscarriages and pregnancy terminations.
However, Reece Kershaw, the commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, has claimed to have information suggesting Russian hackers were behind the Medibank data theft. In November, he remarked, “To the criminals – we know who you are.”
By imposing sanctions on those responsible for cyber-attacks against Australian companies, officials hope to send a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated.
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