The new Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre (A3C) has appointed a CEO to lead its operation from 1 July.
Mr Hai Tran was appointed to the position and, together with the A3C’s Board, will ensure businesses emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on cyber resilience and the ability to conduct business remotely with increased confidence.
South Australia’s Premier,Steven Marshall, said the A3C – a $10 million investment to drive the nation’s capability in cybersecurity which becomes operational in July – will be well served by its board and inaugural CEO.
“South Australia is now driving the growth of Australia’s cyber industry, creating high-tech jobs and generating significant interest from interstate and overseas,” Mr Marshall said.
“Mr Hai Tran and the highly credentialed board will bring together industry, education and research institutes and entrepreneurs from around the world to collaborate at the A3C located at Lot Fourteen – which encompasses a training academy and cyber testing range.
“Cyber security and resilience are increasingly becoming front of mind for the business community and COVID-19 has created further awareness due to working off-site arrangements, which are likely to continue in unprecedented numbers.”
A3C Chair, Kim Scott, said the centre’s strengths were national capability and collaboration across the entire cyber ecosystem.
“The centre is maximising the use of the local cyber capability wherever possible, but where we see gaps, we are engaging internationally to bring world class cyber capabilities into Australia,” Mr Scott said.
“A3C is developing relationships with internationally recognised organisations such as Carnegie Mellon University, University of Maryland, MITRE Corporation and NATO Cyber organisations to deliver best-of-breed cyber training and solutions to Australia.
“COVID-19 is exposing the vulnerability of some companies and seeing the emergence of new threats, so a key aim for this Centre will be to assist companies to emerge from COVID-19 in a stronger position in terms of cyber resilience and the ability to conduct remote work in the future with increased confidence.”
Minister for Innovation and Skills, David Pisoni, said the A3C was established so businesses could test hardware and software, launch new cyber products and services to global markets and get access to highly skilled workers.
“This includes providing best practice, full spectrum cyber courses such as an array of online courses in the short and medium term to suit COVID-19 restrictions to quickly increase the supply of skilled workers to industry,” Mr Pisoni said.
“It is the only cyber centre in Australia bringing the entire ecosystem together, and through collaboration and innovation it is generating quality skilling, workforce and technical outcomes and solving problems, demonstrating a joined-up approach to service delivery.”
The A3C has been established in collaboration with industry, academia and government, including BAE Systems Australia, Optus, Dtex Systems, UniSA, Flinders University, TAFE SA, South Australia’s Office for Cyber Security, Austcyber, the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre, The University of Adelaide and the Defence Science and Technology Group.
Chair Kim Scott, and board members Michelle Price, Geoff Rohrsheim, Alastair MacGibbon and Libby Day, will engage across Australia and internationally to bring together industry, education and research institutes and entrepreneurs, to collaborate at the A3C located at Lot Fourteen.
The Centre is seeking new partnerships and collaboration to solve global cyber challenges and create opportunities.
