Australia has acknowledged for the first time that it is prepared to strike back against foreign cyber attacks and take "offensive" action to protect the nation's interests.

The message that the government is ready to "deter and respond to malicious cyber activities", comes amid a $230 million cyber security strategy to be announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday.

The first update to the nation's cyber attack plan since 2009 will largely be spent recruiting 100 more police and cyber specialists to boost the fight against "foreign adversaries", both state-sponsored and those linked to organised crime, and also widen information sharing between business and government.

China, Russia, North Korea and Iran are among the nations suspected to be the most active in launching daily "cyber crime intrusions" against government, business and people in Australia.