ANU establishes Australia's first 'Cyber Institute'

The Australian National University officially established the country's first interdisciplinary Cyber Institute, which was announced as part of an Australian cybersecurity and innovation delegation's visit to Israel last week.

Dan Tehan, the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Cyber Security, led the delegation and welcomed the announcement as part of its visit to Israel.

The ANU Cyber Institute will bring together experts from various disciplines. They will conduct research across cybersecurity and innovation that will help to 'shape the nation's future'.

ANU Vice Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt says the Institute is the first of its kind in Australia.

"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," Schmidt comments.

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

The ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science and the ANU National Security College will jointly manage the Cyber Institute.

"The Cyber Institute represents the convergence of interdisciplinary expertise to resolve highly complex societal issues," adds College of Engineering and Computer Science Dean, Professor Elanor Huntington.

Huntington believes the Institute will also contribute significantly to global cybersecurity knowledge and innovation.

"The institute has in its DNA a deep appreciation of the technical and social expertise needed to tackle cyber security, resilience, risk and strategy," Huntington continues.

National Security College Head, Professor Rory Medcalf, adds that ANU wanted to seize the opportunity in cybersecurity prioritisation. The university also builds on the Australian Government's 2016 Cyber Security Strategy and the International Cyber Engagement Strategy.

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

He also believes that the collaboration between government, business and academia has made Israel a 'cyber power and innovation nation'. It is also an instructive model for Australia and the Cyber Institute.

"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."