The Australian Government has awarded a $A6.4 million grant to establish a dedicated health sector cyber security network, marking healthcare as the first critical infrastructure sector to receive such targeted funding.

The initiative is led by CI-ISAC Australia, a not-for-profit organisation providing cyber threat intelligence (CTI) sharing services to members across Australia's 11 critical infrastructure sectors, government and suppliers.

The funding will enable the creation of a Health Cyber Sharing Network (HCSN) that will enable collaboration among the country's approximately 1,400 hospitals, 6,500 GP clinics, and numerous health insurance providers.

The urgency of this investment is underscored by 2023 data showing healthcare suffering the most expensive data breaches globally, with average costs reaching $A10.93 million – nearly double that of the financial sector.

"The health and medical sector holds a large amount of incredibly private and personal medical and financial information," said David Sandell, CEO of CI-ISAC Australia. "We have already seen several high-profile data breaches in the health sector, and the new network can help members reduce their cyber risks."

Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness CSC, the National Cyber Security Coordinator, emphasized the preventative nature of the initiative, drawing a parallel to healthcare itself: "Many in the healthcare sector would know well the philosophy that prevention is better than a cure. This also applies to cyber security and is the driving concept behind this grant."

To encourage participation, CI-ISAC is offering complimentary 12-month memberships to eligible health and medical organizations. Members will gain access to cross-sectoral cyber threat intelligence, education on threat mitigation, and improved incident response planning.

The network will operate as part of CI-ISAC's broader critical infrastructure protection framework, which already serves over 100 members across 11 sectors including energy, water, telecommunications, and financial services.

Its existing 100+ members include Google Cloud AU, NBN, AARnet, NextDC, DXC Technology, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Challenger Group Services, Transgrid, Sunshine Coast Council, and the University of the Sunshine Coast.

“The value for all sectors increases exponentially as more participants join the trusted network and share their own insights,” Sandell added. “Cross-sector sharing improves incident detection and response times, enabling health organisations and their suppliers to act more swiftly on threats observed in other industries.”