10 Feb 2023

Blogs

AUSCERT is a world-renowned organisation that has been providing cybersecurity services and expertise to small and large businesses, universities and government agencies in Australia and neighbouring countries for almost three decades. Since its establishment in 1993, AUSCERT has built a reputation as a trusted advisor and a provider of critical incident response and security analysis services. In March this year, AUSCERT sheds its “young adulthood” status and will celebrate its thirtieth birthday!

AUSCERT’s history is rooted in its mission to protect the digital assets of its members by providing practical and expert cybersecurity advice and support. Over the years, AUSCERT has responded to thousands of cyber incidents and worked tirelessly to develop and promote cybersecurity awareness, education, and best practices, both locally and internationally.

Most importantly, AUSCERT is a not-for-profit organisation which exists only for its members, providing unique cybersecurity services which complement government and commercially available offerings. Based at The University of Queensland, AUSCERT works closely with UQ Cyber and global networks such as APCERT and FIRST, having built excellent relationships worldwide over nearly thirty years. AUSCERT funds the provision of its cybersecurity services from not-for-profit membership fees, reinvesting a small surplus into the development of its team members, with emphasis on continuous learning and improvement in culture.

Generous sponsors allow AUSCERT to host the longest running cybersecurity conference in Australia each year since 2002. Known for its great atmosphere and opportunities to collaborate with peers in all industries, presentations and tutorials are sourced from the very best practitioners locally and worldwide. Members receive free or discounted attendance to excellent, low-cost professional learning and development in a welcoming environment. Registrations for the 2023 event open soon!

In recent years, AUSCERT has expanded its services to include a range of cybersecurity training courses. With the growing demand for cybersecurity expertise, the AUSCERT Education program has become increasingly important, providing individuals and organisations with the skills and knowledge they need to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.

The AUSCERT Education program ranges from an introductory course for IT professionals who wish to learn the current terminology, practices and controls in cybersecurity to more advanced training such as cybersecurity risk management and forming an incident response plan. In recognition of the critical importance of areas such as board and executive cybersecurity awareness and data governance practices, during 2023 AUSCERT will expand its education programs into these areas.

Together with this new direction in the AUSCERT Education program, other future services will include briefings for board members and executives, and implementation assistance for data governance practices. Overall, AUSCERT’s direction is to continue providing not-for-profit, high quality cybersecurity services and education for its members.