Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders are set to discuss the security of IT systems across the Asia-Pacific region that control critical infrastructure such as electricity, water and airports in the next scheduled meeting in November in Korea.
The decision followed a meeting of regional telecommunications committee in Peru at the beginning of June during which Australia's Minister of Communications, IT and Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, proposed the issue be elevated for discussion.
"This is a historic first for the [committee meeting] process and will bring a critical issue to the attention of APEC leaders," said Senator Coonan, "Committing to look more closely at what more we can do to protect critical infrastructure was a number of initiatives progressed."
Other IT-related initiatives covered by telecommunications ministers included doing more to "prevent the negative effects of the internet "“ particularly moves to increase protection for children and families using the internet."
In Australia, critical infrastructure protection comes under the purview of the Trusted Information Sharing Network (TISN), an IT security advisory group within the Attorney General Phillip Ruddock's department and composed of government and industry representatives.
In November last year, TISN launched a special program "“ dubbed the Computer Network Vulnerability Assessment "“ designed to tackle potential terrorist acts against critical infrastructure in Australia.
Senator Coonan also met officials and business representatives from the US, China, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Peru, Canada, Chile, Thailand and New Zealand during the summit.
