Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership with Australia
Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss has agreed a new Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership with Australia's Foreign Minister, Marise Payne, to strengthen global technology supply chains, ensure the UK's positive technology vision and tackle malign actors who disrupt cyber-space.
The new agreement includes provisions to build greater resilience to ransomware amongst Indo-Pacific nations and sharpen legal sanctions against cyber attackers. It also promises to help shape a positive technology environment and maintain an internet that is open, free, peaceful and secure.
The partnership will intensify co-operation and delivery around shared opportunities and challenges regarding cyber and critical technology policy through deepened co-operation around four pillars:
- tackling malign actors;
- promoting shared values and positive vision for technology;
- strengthening global technology supply chains; and
- harnessing technology to solve global challenges.
On 16 December 2021, the UK has signed its first post-Brexit free trade agreement with Australia. You can find out more about what the deal means for the tech sector here. The FTA also includes the provision on cyber security where both countries commit to strengthen collaboration mechanisms to swiftly address cybersecurity incidents and maintain a dialogue on matters related to cybersecurity, including for the sharing of information and experiences for awareness and best practices.
Sabina Ciofu
Sabina Ciofu is Associate Director – International, running the International Policy and Trade Programme at techUK.
Dan Patefield
Dan leads the techUK Cyber Security programme, having originally joined techUK in August 2017 as a Programme Manager working across the Cyber and Defence programmes. He is responsible for managing techUK's work across the cyber security eco-system, bringing industry together with key stakeholders across the public and private sectors. Dan also provides the industry secretariat for the Cyber Growth Partnership, the industry and Governmnet conduit for supporting growth across the sector. A key focus of his work is to strengthen the public-private partnership across cyber security to support further development of UK cyber security policy.