Australia appoints First Cyber Affairs Ambassador

As ASX100 prepare for cyber health audit.

Australia's inaugural ambassador for cyber affairs has been named as academic and information security policy adviser Dr Tobias Feakin.

Dr Feakin will take up the ambassadorial role in January 2017.

The position was established following a recommendation made in the Government’s $230 million cyber security strategy, which “encourages collaboration between Australian Government, business, academia and communities to improve cyber security.”

The ambassador for cyber affairs will lead Australia’s international cyber effort, working closely with the special adviser to the Prime Minister on cyber security, named recently as Alastair MacGibbon.

“Cyber threats are not bound by national borders so our ambassador’s role will be to promote cyber security in our region and advocate against state censorship of the internet,” Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said.

He will also be charged with promoting “Australia’s view that opportunities provided by the internet should be available to all people.”

Dr Feakin is perhaps best known in recent times as a member of the independent panel of experts that supported the Australian Cyber Security Review to produce Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy.

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