CI-ISAC collaborates with Google to enhance online scam defenses, improving SEO effectiveness.
The Critical Infrastructure – Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (CI-ISAC Australia) has joined the Google Priority Flagger Program to enhance national efforts against online fraud and scams. This partnership aims to facilitate faster detection and removal of fraudulent content targeting Australian organisations and individuals by leveraging Google’s platform expertise alongside CI-ISAC’s extensive threat intelligence network. The Google Priority Flagger Program allows selected partners to report phishing sites, scam advertisements, and other online threats through dedicated channels, ensuring that flagged issues receive priority attention from Google’s security teams. CI-ISAC will establish a specific reporting mechanism for its members, streamlining the review and mitigation of suspicious content across all 11 of Australia’s legislated critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, water, healthcare, transport, and communications.
David Sandell, co-founder and CEO of CI-ISAC Australia, emphasised that participation in the Google Priority Flagger Program significantly enhances the cyber capabilities available to members. He noted that this collaboration with Google is a vital step in identifying downstream threats and building situational awareness to protect critical infrastructure entities across Australia. The rise in scams and fraud activities, as reported by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Scamwatch service, highlights the urgent need for such initiatives. Bec Turner, Government Affairs & Public Policy representative at Google Australia, pointed out that these scams are often orchestrated by sophisticated organised crime units operating across borders. The collaboration between CI-ISAC and Google represents a commitment to creating a safer online environment for Australians, with the initiative now operational for all CI-ISAC members.
Categories: Cybersecurity, Fraud Prevention, Public-Private Partnership
Tags: Critical Infrastructure, Information Sharing, Cyber Defences, Online Fraud, Scams, Google Priority Flagger, Threat Intelligence, Organised Crime, Scamwatch, Cross-Sector Collaboration