The government has formally launched its first Joint Cyber Security Centre at Brisbane as part of an effort to boost threat sharing by the public and private sector.
The centre is based in Brisbane — the home of CERT Australia, which has been tasked with leading the centre.
Its launch is part of the government’s $231.1 million cyber security strategy. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull launched the strategy last year.
As part of the strategy, the government committed $47.3 million towards establishing joint cyber threat sharing centres as well as an online threat sharing portal.
The cyber security strategy noted that although the Australian Cyber Security Centre already shares threat information with the private sector, the joint centres will help the government share sensitive information quickly with a broader range of businesses.
The centres will bring together businesses, the research community and state, territory and federal agencies.
The Brisbane centre will host a range of joint activities the government said today, including data analytics, targeted training, workshops and threat mapping.
Work is currently underway on the online portal component of the initiative.
CERT Australia, which sits within the Attorney-General’s Department, last year begun an expansion program as part of the national cyber security strategy in order to oversee the joint centres and portal, as well as expand its cyber exercise program, boost national cyber security awareness, devise national voluntary good practice guidance, and generally boost its capability and capacity.
Further joint centres are slated for Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
The government last year appointed a CEO to lead the Cyber Security Growth Centre, which is another component of the national strategy.
The growth centre is intended to boost the private cyber security sector in Australia
Collaboration with Israel
The government yesterday announced that it was seeking closer cooperation with Israel on cyber security, with the countries to host a biennial dialogue on the issue.
“There are enormous opportunities for Australian businesses and entrepreneurs to operate in the field of cyber security and Australia can learn from Israel how to support and grow a digital start-up sector,” the minister assisting the prime minister for cyber security, Dan Tehan, said in a statement.
“By sharing our cyber security efforts with a world-leading nation that shares our democratic worldview, Australia will further the actions we are taking to keep our country safe online.”