Australian Government Considers Outlawing Ransom Payments to Hackers

Australian Government Considers Outlawing Ransom Payments to Hackers
Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security Clare O'Neil speaks to media in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 20, 2022. AAP Image/James Ross
Alfred Bui
Updated:

Australia may soon introduce new laws that ban local companies from paying ransom to hackers if they fall victim to data breaches.

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Insiders program on Nov. 13, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said the federal government was considering whether it was necessary to make ransom payments illegal following the high-profile cyber attacks on Medibank and Optus.

Alfred Bui
Alfred Bui
Author
Alfred Bui is an Australian reporter based in Melbourne and focuses on local and business news. He is a former small business owner and has two master’s degrees in business and business law. Contact him at [email protected].
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