$1.6m funding boost for university cybersecurity

The federal government has announced that it will provide $1.6 million to boost the cybersecurity capabilities of Australia’s universities.

The funding will cover a threat intelligence-sharing network, sector-wide threat modelling and a national cybersecurity forum that will meet three times per year.

“Enhancing cybersecurity in the higher education sector has been a core task of government, universities and national security agencies working through the University Foreign Interference Taskforce,” said Minister for Education Dan Tehan.

“The development of threat modelling and intelligence sharing between universities and government will help identify new and emerging threats as well as best-practice responses.

“We have seen our universities targeted by malicious cyber actors and this project will strengthen our collective defences against future threats,” the Minister added.

Boosting cybersecurity was a key recommendation made in the Guidelines for countering foreign interference in the Australian University Sector, published last year.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Igor Link