University of Melbourne and Edith Cowan University have been chosen to lead the concerted effort to boost Australia’s cyber security capability through the country’s first Academic Centres of Cyber Security Excellence (ACCSE).
Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security Dan Tehan have announced that the institutions will share $1.91 million over four years to help build the required expertise and job-ready skills needed by the industry and Government.
Minister Birmingham said the Academic Centres of Cyber Security Excellence fill the immediate skills gap and would assist to meet the demand of future job growth.
“These centres will help meet the unique challenges we face in the digital age by preparing a new generation of graduates to increase our cyber security workforce,” Minister Birmingham said.
“The centres will encourage more students to take up undergraduate and postgraduate studies and research in cyber security and broaden the range of professionals capable of supporting a cyber-secure nation in to the future.
“Graduates from the successful centres of excellence will be equipped with the best knowledge to meet the needs of the cyber industry, business and government.
“What’s more, the centres will encourage the commercialisation of their cyber security research and benefit Australia’s small and medium sized industries.”
Minister Tehan said a key element of the Government’s $230 million Cyber Security Strategy is ensuring that highly-skilled and capable people are working in the industry to counter the threat posed by malicious actors operating in the cyber domain.
“A career in cyber security offers incredible opportunities, with the Australian cyber security industry predicted to triple in size over the next ten years.
Investment in the ACCSEs complements the Federal Government’s 2016 Defence White Paper which outlined an additional $400 million is required over the next decade to boost Australia’s cyber and intelligence capabilities and create around 800 specialist jobs.
For more information about the Academic Centres of Cyber Security Excellence visit: http://www.education.gov.au/accse .