AUSCERT AND THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND PROUD TO PARTNER WITH IDCARE ON EXPANSION OF CYBER SECURITY SUPPORT ACROSS THE INDO-PACIFIC THROUGH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT CONTRACT

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, 22 JULY 2024: AUSCERT and The University of Queensland are proud to partner with international cyber-support service, IDCARE, on an Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade contract to strengthen cyber security and resilience across the Indo-Pacific.  

The Cyber and Critical Tech Co-operation Program will provide tailored cyber-crime and online scam response assistance to micro businesses and individuals in Papua New Guinea and Fiji, strengthening Australia's support with critical services deployed in the region.    

Dr Ivano Bongiovanni, General Manager, AUSCERT, Australia's first computer emergency response team (CERT) and one of the oldest CERTs in the world, explains the partners will "examine the applicability of proven Australian cyber security capabilities within an Indo-Pacific context, working to enhance community response and long-term resilience 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."  

The Cyber and Critical Tech Co-operation Program is a key component of the Australian Government's plan to demonstrate Australia is no longer a soft cyber security target and further our aim to lead the world in becoming the most secure cyber nation by 2030.  

For the past decade, IDCARE has been providing support to Australian individuals and businesses impacted by scams, identity theft, data breaches and cyber-attacks. In 2015, IDCARE was able to extend its services to New Zealand and now, thanks to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Cyber and Critical Tech Co-operation Program, they will be able to play a critical role in helping our Indo-Pacific neighbours bolster their cyber security posture and minimise impacts on communities from these crimes across the region. 

IDCARE's founder and Managing Director, Dr David Lacey, says IDCARE had already been providing its award-winning, personalised support to other parts of the world, but this collaborative project will allow our joint efforts with AUSCERT and the University of Queensland to further strengthen services in the Pacific region. 

"We know scams and cybercrime are impacting our Pacific neighbours and, as they continue move to an online environment with banking services and shopping, we expect this to increase significantly", Dr Lacey says. 

Professor Ryan Ko, Director of UQ Cyber Research Centre, The University of Queensland reports that the program will include facilitating a range of workshops on the ground in Papua New Guinea and Fiji to better understand local requirements. "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."

The project will examine and assess relevant community harms and current response system needs. The partners will then test the application of specialist services in Papua New Guinea and Fiji. The final phase the project will explore future models, including the development of local capabilities for long term sustainability and the potential to expand the program across other Indo-Pacific countries.    

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

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ABOUT AUSCERT  

AUSCERT was founded in 1993 in response to an Australian university student hacking a computer system at NASA. This breach triggered a chain reaction to improve information security. In the early 1990's three Australian Universities came together and formed AUSCERT - the central source for information security and protection. Today, The University of Queensland has embraced AUSCERT as part of their organisation.  

AUSCERT is a not-for-profit, member funded organisation based at The University of Queensland. It provides support to businesses during cyber security incidents, threat intelligence services and ongoing education and development programs.    

AUSCERT's passionate team of leading cyber security experts deliver 24/7 service to more than 500 members spanning education and training, financial and insurance services, information, media and telecommunications and other key sectors alongside a range of comprehensive tools to strengthen cyber security strategic defences.  

ABOUT IDCARE  

IDCARE is Australia and New Zealand's national identity and cyber support community service. As a not-for-profit charity, IDCARE was formed to address a critical support gap for individuals confronting identity and cyber security concerns. This gap requires specialist identity and cyber security case managers and analysts who can apply a human-centered approach to identity and cyber security. 
 

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND  

Ranked in the world's top 50, the University of Queensland is one of Australia's leading research and teaching institutions. We strive for excellence through the creation, preservation, transfer and application of knowledge. For more than a century, we have educated and worked with outstanding people to deliver knowledge leadership for a better world.  

The University of Queensland has a strong focus on teaching excellence, having won more Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) than any other university in the country and attracting the majority of Queensland's highest academic achievers, as well as top interstate and overseas students.  

The University's outstanding 332,000+ alumni include a Nobel laureate, an Academy Award winner, and leaders in government, law, science, public service and the arts.    

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