Australia backs global unity against rising cybercrime threat

Matt Thistlethwaite, Australia’s Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

At the plenary session of the Hanoi Convention on Countering Cybercrime on October 25, Australia’s Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Matt Thistlethwaite, said the signing of the convention marks a pivotal moment for Vietnam and the global community to unite against the escalating threat of cybercrime. He noted that while digital technologies have enhanced connectivity and convenience, they have also created new avenues for complex and transnational criminal activity.

“These crimes impose enormous economic costs on individuals, businesses, and governments,” he said.

Between 2024 and 2025, Australia’s Signals Directorate received a cybercrime report every six minutes, with total losses exceeding $12.5 billion, a figure representing only a small fraction of the global cost of cybercrime.

Beyond financial damage, Thistlethwaite warned that cybercrime poses persistent and profound social harm, undermining public trust and security worldwide.

He cited examples such as sextortion, human trafficking linked to online scams, and attacks on critical infrastructure and government systems. “Cybercriminals operate across borders, one group may be based in one country, use forced labour in another, and target victims in a third,” he noted, stressing that no single nation can confront the challenge alone.

Thistlethwaite highlighted that domestic legislation alone is insufficient to combat cross-border cyber threats. “Global cooperation is essential,” he said, adding that Australia was proud to sign the UN Convention against Cybercrime, the first UN-endorsed international instrument addressing cybercrime and electronic evidence.

He said the convention represents the success of multilateralism and the UN’s central role in solving transnational issues. It will harmonise cybercrime legislation, strengthen investigative cooperation, and close loopholes exploited by organised crime groups. Importantly, the convention embeds a human rights-based approach to ensure that cybersecurity measures do not undermine the very freedoms they aim to protect.

Australia has been particularly active in shaping the convention’s provisions to prevent technology-facilitated abuse, especially crimes against children, which cause devastating harm to vulnerable communities.

The assistant minister also reaffirmed Australia’s long-term commitment to building cyber capacity across the Indo-Pacific region. Through its flagship 'Southeast Asia and Pacific Cyber Programme', the country will allocate $83.5 million over four years (2024-2028) to strengthen regional cooperation, harmonise cyber frameworks, and equip national cyber response teams with tools to confront emerging threats.

“The Hanoi Convention represents a landmark step forward,” Thistlethwaite concluded. “By working together, we can build a safer, more secure, and more resilient digital future for all.”

Australia contributing to Vietnam’s digital ambitions

Vietnam-Australia alliance drives biosecurity innovation in pig farming

Australian edtech firms explore partnership opportunities in Vietnam

Hanoi convention to tackle cyber-threats