US Funded Program in Australia to Help Pacific Nations Battle Cybersecurity Threats

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A new Australian program supported by the United States will help organisations in 11 Indo-Pacific nations safeguard against emerging cybersecurity threats.

Led by researchers at Monash University and Oceania Cyber Security Centre (OCSC) in Melbourne and funded by the United States Department of State, the Post-Quantum Cryptography in the Indo-Pacific Program (PQCIP) aims to help organisations and government bodies in these countries over the next three years.

Cybersecurity and information technology (IT) focused participants in Malaysia, Indonesia, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, and Nauru can receive free training in advanced cryptography that can help protect against threats from quantum computers through the program.

This picture taken shows flags from the Pacific Islands countries being displayed in Yaren on the last day of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) on Sept. 5, 2018. (Mike Leyral/AFP via Getty Images)

Encryption is one of the key safeguards against data breaches, said Project Director Associate Professor Ron Steinfeld from Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology.

“However, most currently deployed cryptography is not strong enough against attacks from large-scale quantum computers, which can rapidly decrypt most of today’s encrypted data, and we expect such computers to become a reality over the coming years,” he said.

“Recently, we have seen a huge increase in cyberattacks and data leaks. It is critically important now to help neighbouring countries strengthen their capabilities to withstand existing cyber threats while also preparing for the next generation of attacks.”

The program comes at a time when Australia is facing “the most dangerous set of strategic circumstances” since World War 2, according to Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil.

“It’s felt in our economy, where we are waking from a cyber slumber,” O’Neil said at the National Press Club on Dec. 15. “It’s felt in our private lives, where our identities are vulnerable, and personal information is at risk. It’s felt in business and research, where Australia’s hard-won innovations are at constant risk of theft.”

“And it’s felt in our democracy, where foreign actors are trying to influence decisions in our parliaments and universities, and subjecting Australians to online misinformation and disinformation campaigns which spread like viruses around our communities.”

Cyber Security Minister Clare O’Neil speaks at at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Sept. 5, 2022. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

Cybersecurity experts will take participating entities through a cycle of a detailed assessment of their current post-quantum cybersecurity capabilities, tailored education, planning and cyber threat evaluation, according to OCSC Head of Research and Capacity Building Dr James Boorman.

“The training will be adapted to fit the local needs, be available online for reference after the course and [be] free for anyone managing or working in IT or cybersecurity within most government entities (excluding military, intelligence, or law-enforcement) or organisations in any of the 11 countries,” Boorman said.

“We are keen to hear from anyone interested in building these capabilities. Collaboratively standardising and enhancing cybersecurity within these countries will result in stronger relationships and data protection across the entire region.”