Tuesday, 20 December 2022

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (16:08): (1) My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Minister, recent reports regarding a cyber attack against Fire Rescue Victoria revealed that they were forced to revert to manual operations, including even having to open large fire station doors by hand. Minister, can you confirm that there were no delays in response times at any time at any station?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (16:08): I thank Ms Crozier for her question, and I can confirm media reports. Of course the acting commissioner for Fire Rescue Victoria has been out on numerous occasions speaking to the media about an IT incident, confirmed as a cybersecurity issue. It was identified last week, and all attention is being paid to identifying not only the cause but the impact and indeed any measures that need to be taken. There are government cybersecurity experts from both the state and the federal levels helping in relation to that. I am advised that community safety has not been compromised. Crews are continuing to be deployed to incidents, and Victorians should be confident that calling 000 is still the way to ensure that you get a fire response if you need one – if you are facing an emergency that needs firefighters to turn out.

As we speak I am receiving daily updates as to what has been happening. It is certainly a cyber attack from an external third party. There was some speculation that there was some internal thing; I can absolutely put that to bed. That is not an issue; it is in relation to an external third party. We are of course working to resolve the issues as quickly as possible. I am advised that no delays in relation to emergency services turnouts have been experienced. They have all hands on deck in relation to backup systems using mobile phones and existing pagers. In relation to country fire stations, they have just enacted what they had when they used to be CFA, and that is all working fine, as I am advised.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (16:10): Minister, thank you for that response and for the reassurance. Minister, the government has received various reports into IT systems and cybersecurity in our emergency services over recent times, including at Fire Rescue Victoria. Can you confirm that all recommendations from these reports have been implemented?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (16:10): Ms Crozier, it would help me somewhat if you were a little more specific in relation to your question. I am not aware of any specific recommendation or specific request that has been made by FRV or its previous agencies in relation to a matter that would have avoided what has happened in relation to this cybersecurity threat, so it is a little difficult for me to have a broadbrush response to such a broadbrush question. Hopefully, the information I have provided to you gives you an answer to the question you were attempting to ask.