ANU announces Cyber Institute

The Australian National University (ANU) has announced the establishment of the nation’s first interdisciplinary Cyber Institute, which will combine expertise from across a range of disciplines to conduct leading research that will help shape the nation’s future in the increasingly vital fields of cybersecurity and innovation.

The announcement was made during a visit to Israel by a major Australian cybersecurity and innovation delegation, led by the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Cyber Security Dan Tehan.

The institute will be jointly managed by the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) and the ANU National Security College (NSC). ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said the ANU Cyber Institute would be 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,” he said. “This institute will present new opportunities for research, innovation and education.”

Dean of CECS Professor Elanor Huntington said the joint initiative will see a significant contribution to global cybersecurity knowledge and innovation.

“The Cyber Institute represents the convergence of interdisciplinary expertise to resolve highly complex societal issues,” she said. “The institute has in its DNA a deep appreciation of the technical and social expertise needed to tackle cybersecurity, resilience, risk and strategy.”

Head of the NSC Professor Rory Medcalf said ANU was seizing the initiative of prioritising cybersecurity, building on the Australian Government’s 2016 Cyber Security Strategy and its International Cyber Engagement Strategy, released earlier this month.

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

“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.”

Medcalf said that the trusted engagement between government, business and academia that helped make Israel a cyber power and innovation nation was an instructive model for Australia and the ANU Cyber Institute.