Australian cyber security firms to boost Indo-Pacific resilience

AUSCERT and the University of Queensland have announced a partnership with IDCARE to expand cyber security support across the Indo-Pacific under an Australian Government contract.

The collaboration is part of the Cyber and Critical Tech Co-operation Program, aiming to bolster cyber resilience in Papua New Guinea and Fiji through tailored cyber-crime response assistance.

Dr Ivano Bongiovanni, General Manager of AUSCERT, explained the project would scrutinise the applicability of Australian cyber security capabilities in an Indo-Pacific context with the goal of enhancing community response to cyber-crime and online scams. "We are delighted to be partnering with IDCARE and the University of Queensland to play a critical role in helping our Indo-Pacific neighbours and bolstering cyber security across the region," Bongiovanni stated.

The initiative is aligned with the Australian Government's broader strategy to reinforce the country's cyber security stance and its objective to lead globally in cyber security by 2030. IDCARE, which has been providing support to individuals and businesses affected by various cyber threats for a decade, will also contribute significantly through this collaboration.

Dr David Lacey, founder and Managing Director of IDCARE, highlighted that while the organisation has already extended its services internationally, this new project represents a significant opportunity to enhance support in the Pacific region. "This collaborative project will allow our joint efforts with AUSCERT and the University of Queensland to further strengthen services in the Pacific region," Lacey mentioned. He added, "We know scams and cybercrime are impacting our Pacific neighbours and, as they continue to move to an online environment with banking services and shopping, we expect this to increase significantly."

Professor Ryan Ko, Director of UQ Cyber Research Centre, noted that the program would involve a series of on-ground workshops in Papua New Guinea and Fiji to ascertain local needs. "In collaboration with local business councils and key stakeholders, we will tailor and deliver cyber resilience training programs. Overall, we will be exporting Australia's best practices for responding to escalating threat levels and working to strengthen local Indo-Pacific cyber resilience," Ko said.

The project will assess community harms and existing response capabilities, before trialing the implementation of specialist services in the targeted regions. The final phase will focus on developing local capabilities to ensure long-term sustainability and considering the potential expansion to other Indo-Pacific countries.

AUSCERT, IDCARE, and the University of Queensland will also offer cyber security business advisory services and critical training to build local capacity in the Indo-Pacific. The project is set to commence in August 2024 and will run for four months.