APEC ponders infrastructure security

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) regional leaders will in future discuss the security of IT systems in the Asia-Pacific that control critical infrastructure such as power, water and airports across the region.

The decision followed an APEC ministerial meeting on the telecommunications and information industry, dubbed TELMIN6, in Peru last week.

Australia's Minister for Communications, IT and the Arts, Helen Coonan, at the meeting tabled the issue as something that needed to be discussed by APEC.

“This is an historic first for the APEC TELMIN6 process and will bring a critical issue to the attention of APEC leaders,” Coonan said in a statement.

Coonan said APEC had also looked at "a number" of other possible IT-related initiatives, targeting issues such as spam and "child safety" on the internet, during the meeting.

"Ministers also recognised the need to do more to prevent the negative effects of the internet -- particularly moves to increase protection for children and families using the internet."

Coonan also had met officials and business representatives from the US, China, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Peru, Canada, Chile, Thailand and New Zealand during the summit.