Bootcamp to boost regional cybersecurity capabilities

Government officials from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Pacific countries will soon have access to a bootcamp designed to improve the region’s cybersecurity capabilities.

The Cyber Bootcamp Project — funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade — aims to build participants’ knowledge and awareness of cyber affairs issues surrounding technology, threats to decision-making and the nature of cyber and beyond while giving them the advice and skills to combat these issues.

The two-week intensive course comes as part of Australia’s Cyber Cooperation Program and will be delivered by Australian National University’s (ANU) Cyber Institute and National Security College up to three times a year over the next four years. It will include interactive workshops, exercise scenarios, industry site visits and dialogues with Australian Government agencies, according to ANU.

ANU Cyber Institute Chief Executive Officer Dr Lesley Seebeck said the bootcamp will go “beyond simply developing cybersecurity specialists” and instead, “focus on developing skills in good people to conceive, construct and care for good, adaptable, human-centred, secure, resilient systems, which account for the people who use or are supported by them”.

The bootcamp was launched at ANU on 11 November by Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs, Dr Tobias Feakin.

“Australia’s vision for an open, free and secure cyberspace is impossible to achieve alone,” Feakin said.

“We are pleased to be partnering with ANU and our regional neighbours to deliver this initiative.

“The Cyber Bootcamp Project has been designed to bring together complementary skills and expertise from across government, academia and the private sector to deliver a comprehensive, holistic and innovative training program to our regional partners,” Feakin concluded.

Image: Dr Tobias Feakin and Dr Lesley Seebeck at the cyber bootcamp's launch. Courtesy: ANU