In the aftermath of the recent Medibank and Optus data breaches, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security Clare O'Neil revealed the Australian government is looking into whether additional legislation is required to prevent ransom payments, The Guardian reported.

A Possible Long-term Solution

While O'Neil acknowledged the need for immediate cybersecurity change in the wake of widespread attacks, she also noted that longer-term solutions were being considered. One of these is the prohibition of cyber ransom payments.

According to The Guardian, this came after the government launched a high-tech policing operation against the group of hackers responsible for the Medibank breach, in which customers' medical records and personal information were stolen.

"The way we're thinking about the reform task ... is a bunch of quick wins, things that we can do fast, and the standing up for the new police operation is one of those," according to an interview O'Neil gave ABC on Sunday, Nov. 13.

"There's some really big policy questions that we're going to need to think about and consult on, and we're going to do that in the context of the cybersecurity strategy."

Government's Response to Cyber Threats

Previously, Medibank hackers threatened the insurer to leak much more information unless they received the money. The firm refused to pay the ransom sought by the hackers, and according to O'Neil, they made the right move.

On Friday, Australian Federal Police (AFP) claimed Russian cybercriminals were responsible for an assault on the country's biggest private health insurance.

A gang of "loosely affiliated cybercriminals" operating like a corporation in Russia is likely responsible for the Medibank attack and other major security breaches throughout the globe, according to AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw.

The AFP and the Australian Signals Directorate will lead a permanent cybercrime operation consisting of 100 officers to combat hackers. "This is Australia standing up and punching back," said O'Neil.

O'Neil added that there would be repercussions for how their citizens are treated as they will not just sit back while cyber threats occur.

They are planning an offensive approach to track down the hackers and incapacitate them before they can launch another attack in the country. 

The minister said the current response to cyber assaults needs to be enhanced because of their prevalence.

Related Story: Medibank Hacked Update: Australia Blames Russia As Data of Patients With Alcohol Illnesses Leaked

The Medibank Data Breach Incident

As a result of the hack at Medibank, over half a million individual health claims and associated personal information were taken.

The hackers released hundreds of client records on Wednesday after Medibank refused to pay a ransom to recover the stolen data, including information about HIV and drug addiction treatments.

On Thursday, the hackers released private information on patients with excessive alcohol use. On Friday, they even revealed the list of Australian women who had abortions and miscarriages.

Through its website, the insurance company has established a one-stop shop where impacted clients may have access to a variety of mental health and other support services.

O'Neil emphasized the need for businesses to improve the safety of their customers' data.

Read Also: Australia's Medibank Private Hack Exposes 9.7 Million People's Data

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Written by Trisha Kae Andrada