NSW cyber chief pushes customer focus

The launch of Cyber Security NSW within the state’s newly created Department of Customer Service reflects an effort to ensure the office is customer-focused, according to Tony Chapman.

The new department was launched in April, overseen by minister for customer service Victor Dominello.

Chapman in May was appointed NSW’s chief cyber security officer. The role represents a revamp of the former government chief information security officer position. The state government in March 2017 created the Office of the GCISO and appointed Dr Maria Milosavljevic to lead it.

Chapman paid tribute to Milosavljevic’s work establishing the whole of government cyber security function, including overseeing the development of the NSW government’s cyber security strategy, which launched in September 2018.

In January 2019 Milosavljevic left her role to take up a position at the federal Department of Human Services.

The launch of Cyber Security NSW was “no doubt met with some scepticism,” Chapman said yesterday. “Is this all smoke and mirrors? What’s actually changing? Is it simply a name change?” Chapman said at the launch of the NSW Cyber Security Innovation Node.

The state’s chief cyber security officer said it was “no accident” that his office landed in the Department of Customer Service. It reflects a move from being internally focused to “considering the customer in everything that we do” and “maintaining customer trust” he said.

Chapman said that Glenn King, who leads the state’s customer service cluster, had told him that cyber security and privacy are two of King’s biggest priorities because they’re also two of his biggest risks. “So he put me on notice pretty much prior to me even taking this job,” Chapman said.

Chapman said that Cyber Security NSW faced “many” challenges, including enabling information sharing across government in order to provide accurate whole of government threat intelligence.

“As a centralised function across government we’re not in a position to provide an accurate picture of threat, risk and harm to the government unless we’re all cooperating, collaborating.”

Tackling identity theft

Chapman announced today the launch of an identity recovery service for NSW government customers, delivered through IDCARE.

Previously only two state government agencies were subscribers to IDCARE. The new whole of government subscription means 500 individual referrals to IDCARE can be made by state departments and agencies, enabling victims of identity crime to access premium support services through the not-for-profit organisation.

“For customers of the NSW government this arrangement means a more direct connection between residents of NSW and the specialist support available via IDCARE,” Chapman said in a statement.

“As around one in three clients of IDCARE reside in NSW our arrangement is a very practical and meaningful way the NSW government can support customers impacted by scams, identity crimes and cybercrimes.”

The new arrangement is an Australian-first, according to the NSW government.

“The NSW government has shown great leadership in responding to the needs of those impacted,” said Professor David Lacey, IDCARE’s managing director.

“Connecting impacted residents to IDCARE quickly can make a real difference to the harm they experience online, the exposure they have to other crimes, and the timeliness of their response efforts.”