EDITH Cowan University’s Joondalup campus is now home to the head office of the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CSCRC).
An ECU spokesman said the CSCRC would focus on three key areas.
The first is ensuring the security of critical infrastructure by developing innovative solutions to predict, prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats from nation states and individuals.
The second is ensuring industry and the community can access online services with confidence – to grow Australia’s reputation as a safe and trusted place to do business.
The third focus is too address a skills shortage by training the next generation of cyber security professionals.
In September last year the Turnbull Government $50 million funding for the CSCRC.
On Thursday, April 5 Senator Michaelia Cash, ECU vice-chancellor Professor Steve Chapman, Cyber Security CRC chairman David Irvine, Law Enforcement and Cyber Security Minister Angus Taylor and Innovation and ICT Minister Dave Kelly attended the opening of the new research centre, which the university said was set to become one of the world’s leading centres in the fight against cyber criminals, playing a key role in ensuring Australia remains a secure place to do business.
The ECU spokesman said the CSCRC would haves nodes in all mainland states and the ACT and would recruit a significant number of international postdoctoral researchers, as well as PhD students, masters students and honours students, all of whom would be embedded in industry.
He said the CSCRC would operate for seven years and would leverage a further $89 million from its partners, which include the AFP, ATO, Attorney General’s Department, ActewAGL, Aarnet, CERT, Cisco, Datacomm, Department of Defence, Data61, Jemena, Penten, Quintessence Labs and Singtel Optus.
In June last year the federal government named ECU as one of just two Academic Centres of Cyber Security Excellence, worth almost $1 million in funding.
Then in December the McGowan Government announced ECU would co-host the first Innovation Hub, with a focus on cyber security, as part of its $16.7 million new industries fund initiative.
ECU is known for offering the longest-established cyber security course in Australia.
It is also home to the Security Research Institute, which regularly works with Interpol, WA Police and the WA Auditor General’s Office.
