A new study reveals that the land down under is overflowing with illicit downloaders. Some 5 million Aussie scallywags pillaged television shows, music, and other online content that supposedly cost the related industries a combined $900 million. That number will rise into the billions in just a few short years.

Australians who plan to traverse the Web better make sure they have antivirus and firewall software installed on their PCs, because if they don't, they risk being cut off from the Internet. And if they do manage to get an infection, they can expect their ISPs to disconnect service until they can prove a clean bill of health.

These recommendations come as part of a new plan being kicked around Australia's House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications. In a report titled "Hackers, Fraudsters, and Botnets: Tackling the Problem of Cyber Crime," the committee spent 260 pages outlining 34 recommendations on how to deal with the growing threat of cyber crime, everything from the above scenario to holding companies financially responsible who release IT products with security vulnerabilities.

"In the past decade, cyber crime has grown from the nuisance of the cyber smart hacker into an organized transnational crime committed for vast profit and often with devastating consequences for its victims," said committee chair Belinda Neal.

Is Australia's House of Representatives on to something here, or are they off their rocker? Hit the jump and sound off.