Security Research Institute attracts VIP visits
Friday, 18 January 2013
Professor Craig Valli with Senator Chris Evans
Senator Chris Evans and Senator Mark Bishop both got an insight into cyber security recently when they visited ECU’s Security Research Institute, based at the Joondalup Campus.
Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research Senator Evans and Senator Bishop were both given a tour by Institute Director Professor Craig Valli.
Comprising of state-of-the-art equipment, the Institute investigates study areas delivering immediate and high impact outcomes in the area of cyber security and digital forensics.
It is also the home to a number of learning opportunities, including the five-day Cyber Systems Training Course, which teaches industry participants how to protect, and how hackers break into, control system networks and critical infrastructures.
The training culminates in a 12-hour red versus blue challenge, in which each team battles to defend or compromise an opponent’s network.
Senators Evans and Bishop saw teams battle it out first hand and sat in with both the red and blue teams as they planned both attacks and counter-attack.
“We are firm believers that you cannot properly defend a system until you have first learnt how it is compromised, and we hope that by completing the course, the participants will be better prepared to defend their organisation if it ever comes under cyber attack,” Professor Valli said.
“It was a great honour to have Senators Evans and Bishop visit the institute and see firsthand how we are teaching and training professionals in the cyber-security field for the future.”
Following the tour, the Senators had morning tea with members of the executive team, including Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kerry Cox, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Engagement) Professor John Finlay-Jones and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Science, Technology and Engineering) Professor Ken Greenwood.
For more information about the Institute visit the ECU Security Research Institute website.