The bombardment of British and US networks has moved security concerns to the top of the agenda at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Ms May and Mr Turnbull will be joined by two other prime ministers, Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand and Justin Trudeau of Canada, in the meeting on Wednesday between four of the “five eyes” intelligence allies. Seeking a Commonwealth outcome on cyber security, Ms May will offer £15 million to Commonwealth members to tighten their internet defences. “I have called on Commonwealth leaders to take action and to work collectively to tackle this threat,” the British leader said in a statement ahead of the meeting. “Our package of funding will enable members to review their cyber security capability, and deliver the stability and resilience that we all need to stay safe online and grow our digital economies.”

Ms May and Mr Turnbull will be joined by two other prime ministers, Justin Trudeau of Canada and Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand. Credit:Bloomberg The funding will go to security agencies in Commonwealth nations that are considered to have low or middle incomes. Mr Turnbull arrives in London on Wednesday morning, local time, and will hold meetings before attending a CHOGM welcome reception that night. Loading The UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have been formal intelligence allies with the US in the “five eyes” group since the start of the Cold War, using a network of monitoring stations to gather and share information.

The intelligence partners have backed the use of military force to destroy chemical weapons facilities in Syria last weekend even though only two of the five, the UK and the US, launched missile strikes in concert with France. Ms Bishop noted that Australia had no capacity to launch such air strikes in the region but she said the attacks had to be made after Syrian president Bashar al-Assad authorised the use of chemical weapons on his own people. Online security was also canvassed in Ms Bishop’s meetings in London with counterparts including Amber Rudd, the UK Home Secretary. “We are concerned about recent malicious cyber activity that has taken place and we stand in solidarity with the United Kingdom and others in what appears to be a malicious cyber attack emanating from Russia,” Ms Bishop said after her meetings. “Of course, this reflects a pattern of behaviour over a long period of time on the part of Russia.”

Ms Bishop said the Russian support for the Assad regime was “unconscionable” in light of the Russian veto in the UN Security Council over a proposed investigation into the use of chemical weapons in Syria. The Foreign Minister likened the tactics to the Russian objections four years ago over an investigation into the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine, killing 298 passengers and crew including 38 Australians. “There is a concern that the UN Security Council is being used by Russia to shield Syria from investigation, from accountability,” Ms Bishop said. “Russia has used its veto in the Security Council on numerous occasions to shield Syria for its own purposes, and this clearly is intolerable. “We have to have a clear direction from the Security Council on issues like the use of chemical weapons. Australia’s position is that the use of illegal chemical weapons anywhere, any time, by any nation, cannot be tolerated.”

The focus on cyber security and Syria comes amid a debate over the inability of the United Nations to agree on a response, raising questions over whether the Commonwealth should take a collective stance on the issue. The president of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Lord David Howell, told Fairfax Media the member nations had shared values and should be able to back Britain and others in the action to destroy chemical weapons. Loading “It’s a good example of how you can wheel in a network like the Commonwealth to any situation to amplify its strength, and that’s what can happen in this case,” Lord Howell said in an interview. Ms Bishop acknowledged the power of the Commonwealth and its 53 members on six continents.