The NSW government launched its new cybersecurity strategy today, and Daltrey’s managing director Blair Crawford was invited to take part in the industry panel for the event.
Cementing cybersecurity as a priority for the NSW government, Minister for Digital and Customer Service Victor Dominello and Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres launched the strategy, reinforcing the government’s “ambitious commitment” to building local cybersecurity capability.
“Last year alone we committed a record $240 million to bolster our internal cyber capacity, established a regional Cyber Security Hub in Bathurst, led the work of a ground-breaking industry standards taskforce and introduced SME targets for ICT expenditure across government,” Mr Dominello said.
The sector was described by Investment NSW CEO Amy Brown as having “unique importance” to the NSW economy as well as being an “indispensable partner” for the government, particularly as an enabler of other critical technologies.
A key element of the government strategy is to take the lead in Australia – and around the world – when it comes to cyber resilience, talent, research and innovation. It also identifies sovereign cyber capability as a crucial level for economic growth. With more than 80% of Australian cyber businesses headquartered in NSW, the success of the strategy relies on the government working together with the industry.
“To realise our collective vision of becoming the cyber capital of the southern hemisphere, we need government and industry working together,” said Mr Ayres. “That’s what this strategy seeks to achieve.”
It was a sentiment shared by the panel, which also included representatives from Retrospect Labs, Kasada, Laava and Secure Code Warrior. When asked what role government needs to play to ensure the continuing growth of the industry, the panellists highlighted a number of different factors.
Patrick Michel of Lavaa called for a recognition that early-stage companies can’t work to the same guidelines as larger businesses when it comes to things like procurement processes, with flexibility of requirements needed in these kinds of interactions.
Retrospect Labs‘ Ryan Janosevic emphasised support for the continuing development of sovereign cybersecurity capability – engaging local suppliers instead of looking offshore, investment in skills development and innovation as the engine for growth.
Pieter Danhieux of Secure Code Warrior reference US President Biden’s recent executive order to secure supply chains for critical and essential goods, suggesting a government ‘secure by design’ mandate would help ensure software is built securely right the way through the supply chain.
Crawford wrapped up by calling on the cybersecurity community to take responsibility for educating those without the same level of security and privacy knowledge to ask better questions of vendors and service providers when it comes to giving away their data and personal information. “If we get that right then everyone will improve their security posture and take it into their roles, getting cybersecurity and risk demonstrated across all areas of their lives.”
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