The Australian National University (ANU) announced
the establishment of the nation's first interdisciplinary Cyber Institute on
October 29. The announcement was made during a visit to Israel by a major
Australian cyber security and innovation delegation, led by the Minister
Assisting the Prime Minister on Cyber Security, Dan Tehan. Mr. Tehan welcomed
the announcement.
The ANU Cyber Institute will combine expertise from across a
range of disciplines to conduct leading research that will help shape the
nation's future in the fields of cyber security and innovation.
The Institute will be jointly managed by the ANU College of
Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) and the ANU National Security College
(NSC).
Head of the NSC, Professor Rory Medcalf, said ANU was
seizing the initiative of prioritising cyber security, building on the
Australian Government's 2016 Cyber Security Strategy
and its International
Cyber Engagement Strategy, released earlier this month. Professor Medcalf also
said that the trusted engagement between government, business and academia that
helped make Israel a cyber power and innovation nation was an instructive model
for Australia and the ANU Cyber Institute.
"Cyber now touches everything from your own financial
and medical data all the way through to our critical national infrastructure,"
Professor Medcalf added.
ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said the ANU
Cyber Institute would be the first of its kind in Australia.
Professor Schmidt said, "ANU is perfectly placed to
bring together the required expertise across a range of areas to deal with the
increasingly complex issues in the cyber domain. This institute will present
new opportunities for research, innovation and education."
Dean of CECS Professor Elanor Huntington said the joint
initiative will see a significant contribution to global cyber security
knowledge and innovation.
"The Cyber Institute represents the convergence of
interdisciplinary expertise to resolve highly complex societal issues,"
Professor Huntington said.
"The institute has in its DNA a deep appreciation of
the technical and social expertise needed to tackle cyber security, resilience,
risk and strategy."
"This initiative by Australia's national university is
about protecting the nation, its infrastructure, businesses and people from
cyber risk. It is also about training and educating the cyber workforce Australian
government agencies and industries need."
