[Infowarrior] - CERT Aus opens, has beers with AusCERT

[Richard Forno]

CERT Aus opens, has beers with AusCERT

By Darren Pauli, ZDNet.com.au on November 12th, 2010 (3 days ago)

http://www.zdnet.com.au/cert-aus-opens-has-beers-with-auscert-339307220.htm

The government's official Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Australia has opened today a stone's throw from the veteran industry AusCERT offices, and staff say there is no bad blood between the two.

But although six AusCERT employees have jumped over to the "rival" agency after it controversially called for jobs in Brisbane, there is no tension between staff.

In fact, they meet for drinks at a mid-way pub.

"We all meet up after work for beers," former AusCERT staffer, now CERT Australia engagement officer Mark McPherson said. "We are all good mates."

All but one employee, Karl Hanmore, are based in Brisbane. Hanmore is an industry veteran who carried his title of operations manager at AusCERT to CERT Australia's Canberra office.

The government agency has yet to release its capability and engagement documents, but it will focus on the top-end of town, including critical infrastructure and enterprise, while AusCERT will service SMBs and consumers. It has fully absorded the functions of the former GovCERT agency.

It has established information exchanges with banks, telcos and orgnaisations dealing with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition  (SCADA) systems such as energy and water utilities.

The former AusCERT staff will bring their essential knowledge and relations with staff from other global CERTs to the new agency, which has joined the Asia-Pacific CERT community and is negotiating bilateral cooperative agreements.

Attorney-General Robert McClelland said CERT Australia will "significantly enhance Australia's cyber security and computer response capability".

"CERT works to improve the resilience of both our critical infrastructure and the broader digital economy."

Earlier in the year, the government killed discussions to merge the entities after talks soured between the two.