THE federal Government has launched an economy-wide review of Australia’s eSecurity systems to assess whether it should be doing more to combat cyber criminals.

The review is to be conducted jointly by the Attorney-General’s department and the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, rather than the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO).

The review, which will be completed by the end of the year, will assist the development of a national framework for securing Australia’s electronic networks.

“New and networked systems increasingly underpin our business and social interactions, but they also provide fertile ground for exploitation by cyber criminals”, Attorney General Robert McClelland said.

“The e-security review is an opportunity to look at what help the Government can provide to develop a more secure and trusted electronic operating environment for both the public and private sectors. The review will also consider whether Commonwealth programs can be better focused to deal with the ever increasing range of online threats.”

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said that the review of e-security would be a vital step toward fostering confidence in using the internet for personal and business activities.

“A secure online environment trusted by the community coupled with the Government’s rollout of the National Broadband Network is critical to our nation’s continued social and economic prosperity,” Senator Conroy said.

The Attorney-General’s department will lead a “multi-agency team” to seek the views of public and private sector organisations and individuals.