NSW, AustCyber create cyber task force
The NSW Government, AustCyber and Standards Australia are collaborating to drive adoption of industry standards for cybersecurity.
The partners have created a cross-sector task force of industry experts from fields including defence, energy, health and financial services.
The task force held its first meeting on Monday, agreeing that the key priorities of the task force should include improving the practice of cybersecurity across Australian businesses and harmonising baseline security standards.
Meanwhile, the task force will also aim to provide clarity for sector-specific additional standards and guidance, enhance competitiveness standards by sector for suppliers and consumers, and provide greater interoperability.
Another priority will be providing support for Australian cybersecurity companies to seize opportunities and expand internationally.
NSW Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the task force is another critical step in bolstering government’s cybersecurity defences.
“By bringing together industry to identify relevant standards and provide other practical guidance, we aim to make government more secure, whilst providing direction for industry to build their cyber resilience,” he said.
“This will realise our ambition for NSW to become the leading cybersecurity hub in the Southern Hemisphere.”
AustCyber CEO Michelle Price added that trust in the digital infrastructure driving Australia’s economy will be key to Australia’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The economy’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has proven Australia can take leaps towards embedding digital technologies, but the quality of this digitisation and digitalisation along with its trustworthiness is now under immense pressure — and is obviously being targeted by malicious cyber actors,” she said.
“There is a risk underlying the speed of digital transformation in Australia, and the new standards will be critical in helping deliver a consistent, industry-focused framework for NSW. The newly established task force will help NSW businesses understand what they need to do to tackle the complex challenge of protecting against cyber attacks.”
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