Author: James Kell, ANU
It’s 2023. Civil unrest on the streets of Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, threatens another coup. At the request of the Solomon Islands government, the Chinese Communist Party provides its Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) peacekeepers to quell the violence. In a process honed on the streets of Hong Kong and Urumqi, the PLA is effective in executing the government’s wishes.
Continue reading “Has Australia lost the Pacific?”
Author: Daniel Phelan, Monash University
Australia’s cyber capabilities present a huge opening for progress to be made, especially in terms of closing gaps upon certain cyber norms such as propelling interstate cooperation on security and protecting critical infrastructure. Australia can work towards acting as a regional ‘cyber-superpower’ towards its neighbours in the South Pacific alongside nations like Singapore with similar interests. This would ensure Australia and its allies can promote effective and positive cyber norms, while also enacting measures to prevent foreign interference.
Continue reading “Why Australia needs a cyber approach to the Quad“
Author: Jessica Walters, Monash University
Following the recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, debate and discussion has unfolded surrounding the risks that climate change will pose to Australia’s national security. As it affects societal and human well-being, impacting health, food and water resources, and the countries neighbouring Australia.
Continue reading “The direct threat of climate change to Australia“
Author: Alexandra Robson, ANU
If Australia was situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, neatly between the United States (US) and Western Europe, much of the anxiety that has defined Australian foreign policy would be alleviated. This anxiety, based on enduring feelings of vulnerability and isolation, has historically driven Australia to seek protection in alliances with powerful and culturally similar states. Today, Australia’s security is underpinned by our alliance with the US. The 2016 Defence White Paper identified this alliance to be at the core of Australia’s security and defence planning as we confront the challenges posed by the changing dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region.
Continue reading “Australia should have careful faith in ‘great and powerful’ friends”Author: Paul Sigar
Although there weren’t any foreign interference or malicious cyber-activities that affected the integrity of the 2019 Federal elections, this may change in the coming years. Australia can expect disinformation campaigns perpetuated by Chinese state actors, similar to those that target Chinese diaspora in North America, to reach its shores — only more sophisticated and covert.
Continue reading “How can Australia respond to China’s disinformation campaign?“Author: Stephan Robin, University of Adelaide
As Australia becomes increasingly dependent on satellite infrastructure, the threat posed by cyberattacks in space must be consciously addressed as a national security priority.
Continue reading “Why Australia must improve its cyber space defence capabilities”
Author: Krystal Ha, University of Melbourne
When COVID-19 swept across the globe many described it as ‘unprecedented.’ It seemed out of the blue, with the idea of widespread lockdowns, extensive hotel quarantine programs and travel bans alien to all Australians. In government, it was the same — still reeling from bushfires across Australia, the state and federal governments scrambled from one extreme crisis to the next. However, the possibility of a pandemic has been glaring in our faces for decades.
Continue reading “The future of ‘unprecedented’ events“Author: Rebecca Banagala, ANU
If you’re reading this, you’re on the internet. As such, you’re a user of the Internet of Things (IoT)– the network of physical devices connected to the internet.
Continue reading “The human body as a national security threat”
Australian Crisis Simulation Summit 