Fed Uni's push for Ballarat to become hub for cyber security

Federation University experts have called for Ballarat IT businesses and experts to help train post-graduates in cyber security and become mentors to candidates undertaking a new Masters of Applied Cyber Security.

Cyber security expert Associate Professor Paul Pang, from the university's Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability, said the course was unique because of its applied nature, meaning the PhD candidates work and study within business and industry so there is no skills gap between acquiring the knowledge and being able to implement it in real-world scenarios.

The critical need for more cyber security experts has been highlighted in recent years with personal data breaches from companies including Medibank Private and Optus impacting millions of Australians, leaving them open to identity fraud and other cyber crime.

An industry report last year estimated Australia would have a shortage of about 3000 cyber security experts by 2026 with the number of cyber attacks in Australia expected to double within five years.

Fed Uni's Masters of Applied Cyber Security is said to be the only course of its kind in Australia with a one-on-one mentorship program pairing each student with an industry expert for the two year course, allowing them to develop industry contacts to improve future job prospects.

Associate Professor Paul Pang said about 20 mentors had been recruited so far from firms including IBM, Deloitte, KPMG, BHP, Westpac and local Ballarat-based IT companies and cyber security professionals.

But more are needed to allow the course to cater for demand and Associate Professor Pang is keen to see more professionals from local businesses and government departments come on board as mentors.

"This will help make our Ballarat city as a cyber security hub," he said. "It is a win-win situation for companies, and for the the students."

The new course builds on the university's existing IT program to helps solve the critical shortage of Australian cyber security experts as artificial intelligence increases the likelihood of cyber crime.

"AI and cyber security are a pair. The more you devise AI, the more data, the more digitisation of people's lives there comes more risk and we cannot develop AI without also building in cybersecurity," he said.

"They are a pair, and only as a pair will society be healthy and sustainable. From time to time you see news that a company has had a customer details leakage ... which shows society these two are not balanced."

The post-graduate program was co-developed with industry and has the support of key business collaborators Amazon Web Services (AWS) and IBM. AWS will providing the cloud computing platform that will deliver course materials, while IBM will offer each student a paid internship allowing students to hone their skills working on innovative, real-world projects.

"Security is a top priority for AWS and we're committed to training skilled talent in this field. Our collaboration with Federation University on this Master of Applied Cyber Security program is an excellent example of how industry and education have come together to build student skills, and prepare them for successful careers in cyber security," said AWS Australia and New Zealand public sector chief technologist Simon Elisha.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner reported a 26 per cent increase in the number of large-scale data breaches in the second half of 2022 alone.

"We saw a significant increase in data breaches that impacted a larger number of Australians in the second half of 2022," said Australian Information and Privacy commissioner Angelene Falk.

"Cyber security incidents continue to have a significant impact on the community and were the cause of the majority of large-scale breaches."

Associate Professor Pang said the increased digitalisation of people's lives meant greater risk of personal details being leaked or getting in to the hands of cyber criminals.

And businesses holding that data need to protect themselves to avoid becoming a target.

IN OTHER NEWS

Associate Professor Pang said many existing academic cyber security courses equipped students with the textbook skills needed but there was a gap between the academic knowledge and the business knowledge needed to implement the necessary security measures.

"It's more and more about going into specific businesses," he said. The new masters course is about minimising that gap.

"I am excited that Federation University is launching this new Master of Applied Cyber Security that has been co-developed, and will be co-delivered, with our industry partners. This course offers postgraduate IT students with the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge with the backing of some of the leading technology providers like Amazon Web Services and IBM, while receiving ongoing, expert mentorship from leading professionals in the field of cyber security," said Federation University vice chancellor Professor Duncan Bentley.

"The mentorship component of this course makes it unique in Australia and will give graduating students a significant head-start on their way to a successful career."

Have you tried The Courier's app? It can be downloaded here.