The Australian Signals Directorate has today released its Annual cyber threat report 2025-26. In my time in the technology sector, I saw the impact of cybercrime on businesses and organisations, including the significant financial costs and operational disruptions that can follow from an attack. Cybercrime poses a serious threat to Australia's national security and our economic security. Cyberattacks are carried out by a range of actors, from organised criminal networks to state sponsored entities seeking to exploit vulnerabilities across our increasingly interconnected digital economy. As modern supply chains become increasingly reliant on data processing, digital infrastructure and the digital exchange of information, cybercriminals are exploiting these connections to compromise systems and disrupt operations. The impacts can extend well beyond individual organisations, interrupting supply chains, affecting critical infrastructure and harming the consumers and communities that rely on them.

Importantly, these threats are not confined to large corporations. Small and medium sized businesses, local organisations and not-for-profits are also vulnerable to cyberattacks and often have fewer resources and less capacity to prevent, respond to and recover from them. This highlights a common vulnerability across interconnected supply chains in which attackers can exploit weaknesses in one organisation to gain access to others. Even when larger organisations have invested heavily in their cyber defences, attackers may target smaller businesses and third-party suppliers with weaker security measures as an entry point into broader networks. By exploiting these vulnerabilities, cybercriminals can gain access to systems, data and operations well beyond the business they initially compromised. That is the evolving nature of a cyberattack.

The Minister for Cyber Security recently highlighted just how rapidly the cyberthreat landscape is evolving. The scale of that change is concerning. It reflects the growing speed and sophistication with which cybercriminals can exploit technological advances. He illustrated this with a striking example. The time between a hostile actor identifying a vulnerability and exploiting it was once measured in years. Today, that window can be as short as 10 hours, compared to approximately 2½ years previously.

The ASD's report released today recognises that artificial intelligence has been the defining force in the cyberthreat landscape over the past year, allowing malicious actors to identify vulnerabilities faster and exploit them at an unprecedented scale, speed and sophistication to conduct espionage, steal money and disrupt systems. In this environment, our approach to cybersecurity must continually evolve alongside the threats we face. We must ensure that government institutions and critical infrastructure operators have the strongest possible cyber defences to protect essential systems, safeguard sensitive information and keep Australians safe.

Cybercriminals are constantly looking for new ways to exploit weaknesses, whether through sophisticated scams, outdated technologies or software vulnerabilities found in businesses and service providers. They employ a variety of tactics to target Australian small businesses, including phishing messages and suspicious links or QR codes, fake websites and advertisements, business email compromise, malware, ransomware, denial-of-service attacks and deceptive requests to install software. Importantly, effective cybersecurity requires more than simply investing in technology. It also means ensuring employees can recognise suspicious activity and understand the potential risks of communications that impersonate legitimate third-party suppliers and service providers. These are practical measures that can make a real difference in reducing an organisation's exposure to cyberthreats.

As our economy and services become more interconnected digitally, an attack on one organisation can quickly create risks for others, particularly where supply chains and digital networks are closely connected. For small and medium sized businesses, having clear and accessible guidance is particularly valuable. Many operate with limited resources while facing the same increasingly sophisticated threats as larger organisations. Helping them strengthen their cyber defences is essential to protecting their operations, their customers and the broader economy. That is why I'm encouraged by the Albanese Labor government's work to support Australian businesses in navigating these growing challenges and ensuring Australian organisations can operate confidently and securely in an increasingly digital world.

The Albanese government is working with public and private sector organisations to strengthen their cyber resilience and continues to invest in our cybersecurity through project REDSPICE, the largest investment in the ASD's history, strengthening Australia's capacity to detect, prevent and respond to cyberthreats. We are asking all entities to lower thresholds for reporting to the ASD and to prioritise security over service availability. Australia's cybersecurity landscape is becoming increasingly complex, and as businesses, government agencies and essential services become more dependent on digital systems, protecting those systems is critical to our national security and our economic resilience.

As a member of the House Select Committee on Cyber Security for Small to Medium Sized Businesses and Organisations, I recognise the importance of understanding the challenges these organisations face and identifying practical ways to address them. The committee is looking to the cybersecurity maturity of Australian small and medium sized businesses and organisations, including not-for-profits, and assessing the adequacy, appropriateness and accessibility of government provided cybersecurity guidance. These considerations will also help assess how an organisation's level of cybersecurity maturity affects its ability to participate in government and large corporate supply chains. I want to thank the chair, the member for Reid, for her work in chairing the committee, and I acknowledge the deputy chair, here in this chamber today. I look forward to contributing to the committee's work, designed to help Australian businesses and organisations strengthen their cyber security and participate confidently in an increasingly digital economy.

I want to congratulate a local, young athlete from Craigieburn in my electorate, Divjot Singh. At just 19 years of age, Divjot is currently representing Australia at the 2026 Commonwealth Kabaddi Championships in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in India, making him one of the youngest competitors in this year's tournament. For those unfamiliar with the sport, Kabaddi is an ancient contact sport which combines elements of tag, wrestling, strength, strategy and agility. The game is played between two teams of seven players. Divjot has been selected as a raider—a position that requires him to enter the opposing team's half of the court alone, tag as many defenders as possible and return safely to his own half. The defending team, meanwhile, must work together to tackle the raider and prevent his return before time runs out. It is a sport that demands courage, tactical awareness, quick decision-making and extraordinary physical ability. There are parallels with the strategies of warriors, requiring infiltration, spatial awareness and the physical skills and tactical thinking associated with combat sports. We make them warriors in our part of the world. The competition represents an exciting opportunity to showcase this ancient sport on the international stage, with the potential for Kabaddi to feature on the main Commonwealth Games program.

What makes Divjot's journey particularly special is where it began. He first developed his tackling and defensive skills playing Aussie rules football. He went on to train at the James Hird Academy, associated with the Essendon Football Club. During his time playing footy, Divjot demonstrated strong tackling and defensive ability. Those skills caught the attention of people who recognised his potential in Kabaddi, and he was encouraged to take up the sport. There is always a great sense of pride when a young person represents our community and our country on the international stage, and Divjot has not stopped at Kabaddi. His ultimate goal is to play AFL, and we are cheering him on and hope to see him achieve that ambition.

Beyond his sporting achievements, Divjot has also demonstrated a strong commitment to giving back to his local community. For a number of years, he has served on the Kalkallo Youth Advisory Council, which plays an important role in empowering young people to participate in policy-making and civic life. It is wonderful to see a young person balancing sporting ambition with a commitment to helping others and making a positive contribution to the community. I want to congratulate Divjot on his contributions to sport at the local, national and international levels as well as to our local community. At just 19, he has already given us plenty of reasons to be proud. We are proud to see him representing Australia on the international stage and will continue cheering him on as he pursues his ambitions in both Kabaddi and Australian Rules football. Divjot, congratulations on your achievements so far. We wish you every success in the championships and in pursuing your goals both on and off the field.