30 Years 30 Stories

AusCERT 30 Years 30 Stories – Bek Cheb

Hard-working Bek Cheb embodies the heart of AUSCERT’s passion and community and is responsible for keeping the business side of AUSCERT running. As Business Manager, Bek oversees AUSCERT’s events, marketing, communications, and membership. Read on to discover Bek’s fondest AUSCERT moments and where she sees the future of AUSCERT headed.

Whilst working at AUSCERT, is there a memorable experience that stands out?

Not surprisingly, many of my memorable moments have been at the AUSCERT conference. AUSCERT attracts plenty of big-industry names that I’ve fanned over for years.  To meet these inspirations face-to-face and feel their human compassion is amazing. Adam Spencer is our MC, and each year I still get excited to hang out with Adam for a few days. This year Rachel Tobac, an expert in the world of social engineering, was AUSCERT’s keynote. To have such expertise on stage and learn from them is just magical.

What would you say to someone considering becoming an AUSCERT member?

Every organisation should become an AUSCERT member and I’m not just saying that because I work for AUSCERT. I understand the pressure there is on individuals and businesses to understand cyber security. Knowing that you’ve got a community ready to assist you, let alone the value in the individual services, builds confidence. There are many obvious services that AUSCERT are known for such as security bulletins and early warning SMS, but recently phishing takedowns are requested more often; where AUSCERT acts as an extension of your team.

Where do you see AUSCERT going in the future?

Thinking about AUSCERT’s future is thrilling – I think we have a lot of opportunities. Because we’re not owned by the government, the best part of AUSCERT is our agility. We can grow and change to whatever our members need us to be – so the growth opportunities for AUSCERT are endless.

Education is going to play a big role in our future, innovating how we can expand our courses and offerings. There’s a high demand for new skill sets and growth within our industry, so I can’t wait to see our numbers grow.

What sets AUSCERT apart from other organisations in the cyber security space?

Every organisation needs to consider their network of cyber security partners. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to protection, and you can’t put all your eggs in one basket. It’s important to have a layered approach by ensuring you’ve got different people representing your business on different issues. AUSCERT is that important piece of the puzzle, where you won’t find a sales pitch. We’re not trying to make an extra buck in our sales targets that month – instead we’re part of the cyber security community.