UK, Australia to talk cyberwar

Australia's defence and foreign ministers will meet with United Kingdom counterparts in Sydney tomorrow to discuss security matters, including cybersecurity.

(Credit: Neil Lawler Digital and Alexandre Hamada Possi, CC2.0)

Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd will host UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and Defence Secretary Liam Fox at the third Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial (AUKMIN) talks.

"Discussions at AUKMIN III will focus on current foreign, defence and security policy challenges, including in Afghanistan and Pakistan; changing dynamics in Asia; and approaches to counter-proliferation, counter-terrorism, space and cybersecurity," Smith said.

In previous high-level discussions, UK Minister of Armed Forces Nick Harvey pushed for the creation of an offensive cybersecurity capability, while Smith said Australia is focused on building defensive systems.

Harvey, who reports to Fox, said strategies for conventional war can be reworked and retrofitted to a cyber theatre and need to be researched.

The AUKMIN meeting comes after British Foreign Secretary William Hague reportedly said that the UK had neglected its relationship with Australia for 20 years.

"This is a very significant AUKMIN as it is the first visit by UK cabinet secretaries to Australia since the election of the Cameron Government in May 2010," Rudd said.

It will also be the first time an AUKMIN meeting has been held in Australia. The talks focus on strategic, foreign, security and defence issues of common interest to the two nations.

"The talks will set the direction of our bilateral defence relationship, reflecting contemporary, shared security interests," Rudd continued.

Last month, leaked diplomatic cables had implied that Australia's cybersecurity readiness was considered shaky in 2008, and noted the nation was unprepared for cyber attacks.