Our Public Utilities are at risk of Cyber Crime

It has been found that cyberthreats to utilities are growing more severe and sophisticated. A survey of electric utilities around the world with gas, solar and wind portfolios, as well as water utilities — expect at least one cyberattack on critical infrastructure within the next year.

A significant part of Australia’s critical infrastructure is owned or managed by local government. These attacks normally result in a shutdown or loss of operational data. CI-ISAC is dedicated to building communities to leverage the network effects of riskbased intelligence sharing.

The Sunshine Coast has been selected as the location for a new national organisation, The Critical Infrastructure – Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (CI-ISAC) which has an aim of protecting the nation against cyber criminals.

Under the guidance of CI-ISAC’s Chief Executive Officer David Sandell, the not-for-profit industrybased organisation provides comprehensive information and analysis advice to assist its membership base protect Australia’s most critical infrastructure.

A spokesperson for CI-ISAC said, “If we act together and share cyber threat intelligence, we can only get better at pre-empting attacks, while contributing to defending Australia’s data highway and all of the sensitive and personal data public services and businesses collect”.

It also assesses the industry’s readiness to address future attacks and puts forward solutions to help the industry secure critical infrastructure.

CI-ISAC is just one of a number of internationally accredited hi-tech businesses to move to the Sunshine Coast. Much of this has been brought about by Sunshine Coast tech IA, an industry advocacy business that aims to position the Sunshine Coast as a nationally competitive region for its digital capabilities and strong industry advocacy.

Business on the Sunshine Coast can better compete nationally and globally thanks to the Sunshine Coast International Broadband Network and the new NEXTDC data centre which were initiated by the Sunshine Coast Council.

This can only create more highly skilled work in the area.