Former CISO to head up AU$10M cybersecurity centre.
The Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre (A3C) has appointed Hai Tran to lead its operation from July 2020.
Previously Tran joined Western Australia Police as its first chief information officer in September 2015. He was hired for his experience in the infosec industry, having spent four years as the CISO at Curtin University of Technology in 2013.
Prior to 2013 he had a several IT security posts at the federal Finance department, Macquarie Telecom, and security services company CyberTrust.
In his new position Tran will A3C’s highly credentialed board and ensure businesses emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on cyber resilience and the ability to conduct business remotely with increased confidence.
South Australia’s Premier Steven Marshall said the A3C – a $10 million investment to drive the nation’s capability in cybersecurity which becomes operational in July – will be well served by its high-powered board and inaugural CEO.
“South Australia is now driving the growth of Australia’s cyber industry, creating high-tech jobs and generating significant interest from interstate and overseas,” Premier Steven Marshall said. “Cyber security and resilience are increasingly becoming front of mind for the business community and COVID-19 has created further awareness due to working off-site arrangements, which are likely to continue in unprecedented numbers.”
A3C Chair Kim Scott said the centre’s strengths were national capability and collaboration across the entire cyber ecosystem.
The Centre is developing relationships with internationally recognised organisations such as Carnegie Mellon University, University of Maryland, MITRE Corporation and NATO Cyber organisations to deliver best-of-breed cyber training and solutions to Australia, he said.
“COVID-19 is exposing the vulnerability of some companies and seeing the emergence of new threats, so a key aim for this Centre will be to assist companies to emerge from COVID-19 in a stronger position in terms of cyber resilience and the ability to conduct remote work in the future with increased confidence.”
Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni said the A3C was established so businesses could test hardware and software, launch new cyber products and services to global markets and get access to highly skilled workers.
“This includes providing best practice, full spectrum cyber courses such as an array of online courses in the short and medium term to suit COVID-19 restrictions to quickly increase the supply of skilled workers to industry,” Minister Pisoni said.
“It is the only cyber centre in Australia bringing the entire ecosystem together, and through collaboration and innovation it is generating quality skilling, workforce and technical outcomes and solving problems, demonstrating a joined-up approach to service delivery.”
BAE Systems Australia chief technology officer Brad Yelland said cyber security for the defence industry supply chain is critically important on two fronts: the first is the cyber security of a SME’s business systems and the second is the cyber security of their products before being incorporated into our platforms.
“Our participation in the A3C aims to develop strong relationships with key industry, academia and researchers to help us find solutions to complex problems,” Yelland said.
“We will support the ASC Shipbuilding Hunter Class Program with a focus on developing cyber capability within Indigenous owned businesses.
“A3C will also develop a strong talent pool of cyber professionals that we will need to draw upon in the future for our nationally important defence programs.”
The A3C has been established in collaboration with industry, academia and Government, including BAE Systems Australia, Optus, Dtex Systems, UniSA, Flinders University, TAFE SA, South Australia’s Office for Cyber Security, Austcyber, the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre, The University of Adelaide and the Defence Science and Technology Group.
Chair Kim Scott and board members Michelle Price, Geoff Rohrsheim, Alastair MacGibbon and Libby Day will engage across Australia and internationally to bring together industry, education and research institutes and entrepreneurs, to collaborate at the A3C located at Lot Fourteen.
The Centre is seeking new partnerships and collaboration to solve global cyber challenges and create opportunities.
