CI-ISAC Australia, an industry-led, not-for-profit that drives collective defence across all critical infrastructure sectors in Australia, announced a new initiative to combat fraud and scams by joining the Google Priority Flagger Program. The initiative will combine Google’s expertise with CI-ISAC’s unique cross-sectoral member network and intelligence sharing capabilities to identify and combat fraud across Australian critical infrastructure sectors.
Google Priority Flagger Program streamlines the process of identifying, reporting, and mitigating fraud threats related to Google platforms. As part of this collaboration, CI-ISAC will operate a dedicated channel for its members to flag fraud and other malicious activity through the Google Priority Flagger Program for prioritised review.
“Our participation in the Google Priority Flagger Program is a key enabler for how CI-ISAC extends valuable cyber capabilities to members in order to support their cyber resilience,” said David Sandell, CI-ISAC’s co-founder and CEO. “Deepening our work with Google to identify downstream threats within the ecosystem is another example of our collective defence approach to build situational awareness and safeguard Critical Infrastructure entities across Australia.”
“Scams are often not orchestrated by individuals, but by sophisticated organised crime units operating across borders. Dealing with this complex criminal threat requires cross-sector collaboration, and we are pleased for CI-ISAC to join the Google Priority Flagger Program in Australia,” said Bec Turner, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google Australia. “This development is a testament to our shared dedication to a safer online experience for Australians, and we look forward to making a positive impact together.”
The program has launched for all CI-ISAC members and will link in with both automated and ad-hoc member sharing channels, supported by Google and the CI-ISAC National Intelligence Office (NIO).
In January, the CI-ISAC Australia was awarded a $6.4 million grant from the Australian government to establish a dedicated information-sharing and analysis center for the nation’s healthcare sector. This initiative comes in response to recent cyber-attacks targeting Australian healthcare entities, such as health funds and hospitals, prompting the government to prioritize the health sector as the first to receive formal funding.
