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Australian owned and operated and subject to sovereign controls .”
Beyond the threat posed by nation-state hackers , Dr Thompson said Australia should prioritize local technology , cloud and cybersecurity providers to cultivate local industry , create jobs and capability that will drive economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic , uplifting Australia ’ s national cybersecurity posture in the process .
Can you explain how better cybersecurity can stimulate the national economy ?
Put simply , a strong cybersecurity defense must be a national priority given the current threat environment . This will create jobs in an industry that has a lot of room to grow ; and will save businesses the excessive costs of recovery following a cyberattack , enabling further investment in areas of growth .
“ The government is doing this with the defense industry through major procurement of land and naval platforms . It should do the same in cyber where we are already served by local industry capability that is worldclass ,” he said .
Macquarie Telecom Group CEO David Tudehope welcomed the appointment . He said : “ Marcus embodies what we value most – maximizing Australia ’ s sovereign skills and capabilities , and keeping Australian data stored and protected onshore . Collectively , we need to amplify the voices of experts like Marcus who have dedicated their careers to protecting Australia ’ s people and our way of life .”
To my first point , I believe a greater emphasis should be placed on cultivating a sovereign cybersecurity industry . There is currently a cybersecurity skills shortage in Australia . Last year the federal government ’ s Australian Cybersecurity Growth Network , AustCyber , reported that between October 2019 and September 2020 , there were 4500 openings for IT security specialists but only 4100 positions were filled .
There are some fabulous cyber companies in the market right now , that are either wholly or majority Australian owned . If public and private organizations prioritize partnerships with these local companies , it will allow them to grow and attract talent into the sector through educational programs .
We asked Dr Thompson further questions about his opinions on protecting Australia ’ s cybersecurity .
Why is it so important to move Australia ’ s digital supply chain onshore to protect the country ’ s sovereign information ?
Across Australian society and indeed across the developed world , our lives are increasingly digitized . This means all our personal information needs to be stored and secured somewhere , and if this is in an offshore data center , questions need to be asked about who has access to it and under whose national laws it is subject .
To my second point , better cybersecurity will reduce the amount of cyberattacks that occur and the damage that results from the attacks that get through . Once these hackers are in deep enough , they can seriously prevent organizations from conducting business – costing them lots of money . Better cybersecurity will reduce the wasted costs businesses need to spend when attacks occur .
How can you ensure that cybersecurity transforms from a ‘ fleeting thought in the national psyche to an issue that is front and center ’ with the private sector , government and the population at large ?
Increased tensions with China , a constant flow of fake news , frequent references to cyberattacks conducted by sophisticated state actors and public announcements on foreign espionage have placed sovereignty front-and-center in the Australian psyche . With so much going on , do we really want ambiguity around where our information is stored , and the digital infrastructure it is connected to ?
A sovereign supply chain is the logical solution . Not only will this reduce risk , it will also increase Australia ’ s digital capability and create jobs to kickstart our economic recovery following the recession brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic .
By joining Macquarie Telecom Group ’ s federal government advisory board , I will increase the strength and frequency of cybersecurity conversations with
Macquarie shares my view that cybersecurity needs to transform from a fleeting thought in the national psyche to an issue that is front and center .
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