Critical infrastructure protection gets ‘connected’
Telecommunications underpin a nation’s critical infrastructure protection network(CIPN) It is impossible to assess Australia’s CIPN without looking at the involvement of Telstra. Bill Davey outlines the views of Australia’s major telecommunications provideron the initiatives of governments and industry to boost CIPN.
Australia’s ability to respond effectively to emergencies and natural disasters is linked to Telstra’s capabilities and services.
Rapid and secure communications are vital elements in the nation’s security infrastructure. Telecommunications can be regarded as the country’s ‘central nervous system’.
Telstra works with emergency service organisations, governments and the community to assist in times of critical need.
National and international telecommunication networks are at risk from both natural and manmade hazards. Telstra owns and operates a large part of these networks.
The focus on these risks changes from time to time depending on the environment. In times of war, the physical risks have been more prominent. Due to the harsh Australian environment, natural hazards have always been addressed, particularly in the more remote areas of Australia.
Protecting national critical infrastructure
After the events of September 11, there has been a particular focus on identifying and protecting Australia’s national critical infrastructure.
Telstra has identified core network elements - the backbone of all networks the company operates - and has worked with governments to ensure these have the necessary protection and resilience.
The benefit to Telstra, and the nation, of the critical infrastructure protection work currently being undertaken is that organisations in the communications sector are now able to work cooperatively with other sectors to look at the risks holistically.
Telecommunications networks have a critical dependency on the energy and water sectors.
Trusted Information Sharing Network
Through the Trusted Information Sharing Network (TISN) Telstra now has a forum where it can work closely with these other sectors to more effectively manage the risks. It also works with sectors so they can also better understand and manage their telecommunications risks.
The TISN was established by the Australian Government in response to increased concern about terrorism. The TISN has a number of infrastructure assurance advisory groups (IAAG) with participation from private sector organisations, State and Territory governments and Federal Government agencies. These IAAGs work on intra-sector issues. Any cross-sector issues are managed through the Critical Infrastructure Advisory Council, whose membership is generally the chairs of the IAAGs and government representatives.
From an initial focus on counter-terrorism, the TISN has broadened its focus to more general areas of all-hazards protection and business resilience.
There have been significant national outcomes from this close business-government relationship, including pandemic preparation planning. Again, due to the interconnected nature of modern society, assumptions and guidelines from other sectors are essential to companies like Telstra in their own pandemic planning.
Another significant outcome of the TISN is the critical infrastructure protection modelling and analysis (CIPMA) program. This program is funded by the Australian Government, managed by the Attorney General’s Department and operated by GeoScience Australia and the CSIRO. Initially focused on the communications, energy and banking and finance sectors, with some input from the water sector, this program is delivering significant benefits to both the resilience of Australia and participating organisations.
The CIPMA program relies heavily on organisations within the sectors providing detailed information and knowledge in order to develop the core geospatial database and system process models. Telstra has contributed significantly to the program, benefiting both the nation and Telstra. Telstra is looking forward to continuing this work with the CIPMA team as the program is expanded to other sectors.
Critical Infrastructure Program
The CIPMA program undertaken by Australian governments is a good example of how business and government have worked effectively together to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
At present, there are various plans and guidelines assigning responsibilities to critical infrastructure owners and operators. Telstra has seen other areas where regulation or legislation has been an impediment to effective cooperation. In contrast, the effectiveness of the CIPMA is the result of government partnering with business as equals in matters where the government’s desired outcomes intersect with the commercial interests of participating businesses.
About the author: Bill Davey is Senior Business Specialist – Business Resilience with Telstra. He is also Co-chair of the Communications Sector Infrastructure Assurance Advisory Group (CSIAAG) Telstra is Australia’s major telecommunications company and has provided products and services to the Australian community for more than 100 years.