[ISN] Network to research protection

[InfoSec News]

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,12366219%5E15306%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html

James Riley
FEBRUARY 25, 2005  
 
A NEW research network of universities and private sector
organisations has been charged with improving protection of
Australia's critical infrastructure.

Launched by Attorney General Philip Ruddock in Canberra, the Research
Network for a Secure Australia (RNSA) will create collaborate research
projects in the areas of IT security, physical infrastructure
security, and surveillance and intelligent systems.

The creation of the research network is being funded through a
five-year, $2 million Australian Research Council grant and aims to
draw together existing expertise from Australian universities.

Mr Ruddock said the network would seek to align Australian research
into critical infrastructure protection with the needs of local law
enforcement, intelligence agencies and the private sector.

In addition to meeting the needs of local critical infrastructure
protection, Mr Ruddock said the RNSA would also create potential
products and expertise that could resent an export opportunity.

"It's in this field of critical infrastructure protection that it's
essential for our research meets the needs of those who own the key
assets and are responsible for their protection," Mr Ruddock said.

The RNSA brings together three universities.

The University of Melbourne will manage the administrative operation
of the network, and spearhead research into physical security in areas
like blast modelling, protective materials and smart buildings and
infrastructure.

The Australia Defence Force Academy (ADFA) at the University of New
South Wales in Sydney will oversee all surveillance and intelligence
systems research.

The Queensland University of Technology will provide co-ordination to
the IT infrastructure security, including intrusion detection,
computer forensics and the design of cryptographic algorithms.

Mr Ruddock said the primary goal of the new system would be in sharing
research to create a better environment for innovating in the "fight
against terrorism".

"It will facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge. It will
stimulate debate. It will generate new ideas. It will encourage
innovation.

"And it will encourage them to think laterally about how to best
protect our national security, and critical infrastructure in
particular.