The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has unveiled a new world-class cyber and foreign intelligence facility, as the agency prepares to mark 75 years defending Australia from global threats. The new facility is located in Majura Park in Canberra and aims to further enhance ASD’s capabilities as Australia’s leading agency for signals intelligence, cyber security and offensive cyber operations. It will also offer unique employment opportunities for the next generation of intelligence analysts, cyber operators, technology researchers, and corporate enablers.
The Minister for Defence stated that ASD plays a critical role in defending all Australians, and protecting and strengthening Australia’s security, including the nation’s critical infrastructure. The state-of-the-art building is evidence of the Australian government’s commitment to defending and confronting adversaries in what is a rapidly deteriorating strategic environment.
ASD is a world-class intelligence, offensive cyber and cyber security agency and the new facility ensures that staff can continue to innovate and stay one step ahead of Australia’s adversaries.
He added that protecting Australians and Australian interests the curent Australian Government’s top priority, and intelligence and security agencies need the best possible tools to deter adversaries and defend the nation and strike back when necessary.
The Assistant Minister for Defence noted that Australia’s economy is more connected than ever before, and securing Australia’s digital sovereignty is vital for national sovereignty. He noted that as conflicts around the globe are being seen, authoritarian states are increasingly using cyber-attacks to undermine and threaten democracies, and a strong ASD is vital to Australia’s cyber defences.
He added that the Majura Park facility will better enable ASD and its Australian Cyber Security Centre to detect increased threats, disrupt more foreign adversaries, and build more partnerships with industry and government to protect more Australians.
The Director-General of ASD noted that the Majura Park facility will foster security partnerships across the intelligence community, law enforcement, Australian industry and international partners.
ASD has always worked as part of a larger team alongside its inter-agency domestic partners and Five Eyes allies, and the Majura Park facility will mean we can collaborate and share information with greater speed, scale and impact. ASD has always had to out-think and out-imagine adversaries, she said.
This facility will generate increased opportunities for the type of collaboration across private and public sectors, necessary to defend and win in the current cyber threat environment. The Majura Park facility will house agents and personnel from the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Home Affairs and key industry partners.
The global Cybersecurity government market is projected to reach an estimated CAGR of 14% during the forecast period i.e., 2018-2023. The cyber security government market provides services to all the departments that handle sensitive data and information. The major sectors which require cyber security services would be Defence, Banks which are run by the government and Law enforcement agencies.
In the era of digitalisation, even the government is trying to move its operations or mode of working. This means the government will be handling, working and storing those data over systems or some cloud-based technologies. This can be a major threat if the security standards are not properly met and it is the most affected sector when compared with a private organization. The loss of these data will cause damage to society. To stop cyber breaches or attacks, government organisations are showing keen interest in setting up high-level security protection. They are trying to adopt and work on solutions like Identity Access Management and Unified Threat Management.