“Governments need to be more agile and collaborative in responding to public needs in information and communications technology (ICT),” Member for Davidson and NSW Public Accounts Committee Chair, Jonathan O’Dea, said today.
Mr O’Dea added that the rapid expansion and uptake of online commerce and e-government services are not accompanied by adequate addressing of cybersecurity risks.
“We are inadequately protecting information, poorly co-operating and insufficiently auditing existing government controls in NSW and Australia.
“The results include a deep lack of public confidence and unacceptable risk to personal, state and national assets,” Mr O’Dea said.
Mr O’Dea issued this warning on closing the annual meeting of the Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees, which recently met at NSW Parliament House.
Mr O’Dea cited US cyber risk concerns, declining trust in institutions and appallingly low adoption rates for the Federal Government’s new electronic health record system as evidence that governments need to do more.
The NSW PAC should issue its report on the procurement and management of Government ICT projects next month.
