Growing Australia's cyber workforce

The Executive Cyber Council is an initiative under Australia's Cyber Security Strategy, launched to enhance the nation's cyber resilience and security. The council brings together leaders from the business community, government agencies, and other institutions to collaborate on addressing cyber threats and opportunities.

The Cyber Workforce Working Group formed under the ECC membership is focused on Shield 5 of the Strategy and tasked with addressing the challenges and opportunities related to Australia's cyber workforce.

The WG has four aims: develop and implement strategies to attract, train, and retain skilled cybersecurity professionals; enhance educational and training programs to ensure the workforce is equipped with the latest skills and knowledge; promote diversity and inclusion within the cyber workforce to bring varied perspectives and innovative solutions; and collaborate with industry and educational institutions to align workforce development with current and future cybersecurity needs.

To support these aims, the WG has conducted extensive research and literature review to produce the Australian Cyber Workforce Program and hosted a Cyber Workforce Summit. This has formed the foundation for developing the Australian Cyber Workforce Playbook. A public document that takes into consideration a range of use cases and diverse perspectives to provide a broad range of organisations with the actionable tools, guidance and best practices to build a cyber workforce that is fit for purpose, and inclusive by design.

Join this panel session to hear about key findings from the WG, where you can get resources to support building a cyber workforce, what's next in the pipeline, and how you can get involved in shaping the future of Australia's cyber workforce.