The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is funding a new boot camp, which will be delivered by The Australian National University (ANU), to help better equip practitioners at the frontline of the region’s cybersecurity challenges.
The Cyber Bootcamp Project
According to a recent press release, the Cyber Bootcamp Project provides practical expert advice and skills training to government officials from ASEAN and Pacific countries.
It builds participants’ knowledge and awareness of the full breadth of cyber affairs issues, which encompasses technology and threats as well as decision-making and the nature of cyber and beyond.
The Cyber Bootcamp Project aims to:
- Strengthen understanding of strategies for coordinating national cyber policy.
- Strengthen understanding of cyber terminology, internet architecture, and security policies.
- Increase awareness of cyber threats and challenges faced in both Australia and within the region.
- Promote the application of international stability framework for cybersecurity.
- Promote collaborative relationships between government, academia, civil society, and the private sector to address joint cyber challenges.
- Identify incident response roles and responsibilities.
Each boot camp includes a two-week intensive program in Australia, where participants engage in interactive workshops, exercise scenarios, industry site visits, and dialogues with Australian Government agencies.
The Cyber Bootcamp Project will be delivered up to three times per year over the next four years to selected ASEAN and Pacific countries.
Who are Involved?
The boot camp forms part of Australia’s Cyber Cooperation Program and will be delivered by the ANU Cyber Institute and ANU National Security College.
As explained by CEO Dr Lesley Seebeck, the ANU Cyber Institute aims to transform cyber for the betterment of humanity.
For the Cyber Bootcamp Project, this means extending beyond simply developing cybersecurity specialists.
Instead, the boot camp will focus on developing skills in good people to conceive, construct and care for good, adaptable, human-centred, secure, resilient systems, which account for the people who use or are supported by them.
Dr Tobias Feakin, Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs, officially launched the boot camp at the University recently.
Australia’s vision for an open, free and secure cyberspace is impossible to achieve alone, thus, the partnership with ANU and other regional neighbours to deliver the initiative.
The Cyber Bootcamp Project has been designed to bring together complementary skills and expertise from across government, academia and the private sector to deliver a comprehensive, holistic and innovative training program to regional partners.
It combines international best practice with firsthand expertise from Australia’s cyber policy and operational specialists across government, academia and the private sector.
Cyber Cooperation Program
Australia’s Cyber Cooperation Program works across the Indo-Pacific to improve cyber resilience.
Established in 2016, it plays an important role in supporting the country’s international cyber engagement, which champions an open, free and secure Internet that protects national security and promotes international stability, while driving global economic growth and sustainable development.
The Program supports Australia’s commitment to deliver on the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which recognises the vital role of digital technologies to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
