Australian Cyber Security Centre Gets its Office and New Website

The Australian Cyber Security Centre has now got its own office; the Centre has shifted base to its new home, at Brindabella Business Park.

Itnews reports- “The Australian Cyber Security Centre is officially live in its new home at Brindabella Business Park, cheek-by-jowl with the main runway at Canberra Airport, and will lead rapid response to around 16 incidents a day.”

The move was initiated almost over a year ago, in July 2017, when Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull decided to appoint his cyber security advisor Alastair MacGibbon as the head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre and decision was taken to move the ACSC from its then existing home in ASIO’s Canberra headquarters to the Brindabella Business Park.

An ACSC news release titled ‘New cyber security centre to boost Australia’s online resilience’ and dated 16 August 2018 says- “The Prime Minister has opened the new headquarters of the world-leading Australian Cyber Security Centre…The new Australian Cyber Security Centre will draw on the expertise from the ICT community, law enforcement, defence, universities and security agencies, as well as international partners, to increase the skills and capabilities needed to protect and defend our interests.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has stated that the new state-of-the-art centre will seek to protect national critical infrastructure, the country’s businesses and the public.

In an official media release, the Prime Minister states, “With the opening of this purpose-built national cyber security centre in Canberra today, we are significantly enhancing our capacity to grow Australia’s cyber resilience in partnership with industry, businesses, universities, not-for-profit organisations and governments.”

The Prime Minister also points out that the new Australian Cyber Security Centre “will be the central hub for cyber security information, advice and assistance to all Australians.” He adds- “A global monitoring capability, equipped with advanced cyber threat detection and warning systems will help to keep Australians safe – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

The ACSC has thus come a long way from its rather humble beginnings in 2014 and from its earlier base at the former ultra secure Defence Joint Operations Command bunker at Russell, nicknamed “the pit” by defense staffers.

Prime Minister Turnbull has clarified that the government, by investing in the new ASCS facility, seeks to fight the increasing number of cyber attacks that are targeted at the government as well as at businesses and public life. He has mentioned instances of 33 Australian universities being targetted by a spear-phishing campaign and also of the alleged election interferences happening all across the globe.

The Prime Minister’s media release states- “Effective online security is vital for a modern, technology-driven economy. It is critical to our wellbeing, prosperity and security. That’s why the Turnbull Government has integrated the Centre into the Australian Signals Directorate, which has a long history of excellence in cyber security and access to world-leading technology…The Australian Cyber Security Centre forms a critical hub for the Joint Cyber Security Centres located in all capital cities, which facilitate stronger partnerships between more than 150 organisations across private and public sectors.”

The release also explains that the ACSC would deliver on the Government’s cyber security priorities, with focus on three critical aspects, namely providing cyber security advice and assistance to businesses and the community, preventing and disrupting offshore cyber crime and protecting specialized tools used by ASD (Australian Signals Directorate).

The ACSC has also launched a new website, cyber.gov.au. The Prime Minister’s media release says- “The new cyber.gov.au website will replace a number of Government cyber security websites and services, including ACORN and acsc.gov.au. This important step will provide businesses and individuals with one single place to report cybercrime and find advice on cyber security practices…Empowered by our partners across the Australian community, in industry, business and research, the new Australian Cyber Security Centre is best placed to harness evolving technology and tradecraft and lead the nation in protecting us from harm.”