Business as usual, says AusCERT, despite collapse of negotiations
by Judy Hinz - Online Editor
Graham Ingram, General Manager of AusCERT has declared that it is ‘business as usual’ for his team, despite negotiations having broken down over plans for AusCERT to provide services to CERT Australia, the new computer emergency response team established within the Attorney-General’s Department.
He admitted that while it was not the best outcome for AusCERT, he did not believe that it would have a significant impact on the future of his organisaton.
“We were happy with the government’s initial strategy [of consolidating Commonwealth control of the functions],” he told ASM. “We went into the negotiations in good faith but it was difficult to get the Commonwealth to agree what services would be provided.”
Mr Ingram declined to comment on a report in the Australian Financial Review (15 June 2010) that AusCERT staff had been approached with offers of employment with the new body, saying only that he was aware that jobs with CERT Australia had been advertised in the press.
He said he believed there is room for both teams to operate as CERT Australia has indicated it is primarily interested in helping critical infrastructure.
AusCERT is the not-for-profit computer emergency response team based at the University of Queensland. It relies on member subscriptions to cover its operating costs.
However, speaking at the launch of the National Cyber Security Information Exchange in Sydney recently, Attorney-General Robert McClelland revealed the intention for CERT Australia to 'take over' from AusCERT.
"Since it was established in 1993, the University of Queensland's AusCERT has provided many of Australia's national CERT functions.
"CERT Australia will now be the sole supplier of national CERT services to the Australian community and the point of contact for the international CERT community."
Mc McClelland acknowledged "the Government's appreciation for the important contribution" made by AusCERT, and said the Government looked forward "to an ongoing and productive relationship with AusCERT into the future".
Mr McClelland announced CERT Australia would be fully established within the his Department, rather than through the partly contracted model that was previously envisaged.
"The establishment of CERT Australia within Government has many benefits, in particular the greater level of integration it enables between CERT Australia and the Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) in the Defence Department.
"It also ensures the full integration of CERT activities into other realms of the Government's cyber security response, including crisis management arrangements."
The AFR reported the Attorney-General's Department had defended offering jobs to eight staff members from AusCERT.