Nation-first Cyber Institute to open at ANU

Australia’s first interdisciplinary Cyber Institute has been announced by Australian National University (ANU).

It will combine expertise from across a range of disciplines to conduct leading research that will help shape the nation’s future in the increasingly vital fields of cybersecurity 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).

“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,” said ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt.

“This institute will present new opportunities for research, innovation and education.”

CECS Dean Professor Elanor Huntington, said the joint initiative will see a significant contribution to global cybersecurity knowledge and innovation.

“The Cyber Institute represents the convergence of interdisciplinary expertise to resolve highly complex societal issues,” Huntington said.

“The institute has in its DNA a deep appreciation of the technical and social expertise needed to tackle cybersecurity, resilience, risk and strategy.”

The new Cyber Institute was announced during a visit to Israel by an Australian cybersecurity delegation, led by Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Cyber Security Dan Tehan.

NSC Head Professor Rory Medcalf said ANU is seizing the initiative of prioritising cybersecurity by building on the Australian Government’s 2016 Cyber Security Strategy and its International Cyber Engagement Strategy, released earlier this month.

“Cyber now touches everything from your own financial and medical data all the way through to our critical national infrastructure,” Medcalf said.

“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.”

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Andrew Ostrovsky

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