Australia Restructures National Security Framework, Including Critical Infrastructure, Protective Security, Cyber Security And More.
Australia Restructures National Security Framework – Australia’s Department of Home Affairs is restructuring its national security framework, consolidating multiple areas under a single group led by newly appointed head of national security, Hamish Hansford.
The breadth of the changes is certain to impact on requirements for security providers at all levels of federal and state government verticals, and is certain to leach into local government, too. The restructure includes training, too, initially for government security professionals, but also across industry.
The new structure integrates functions including counter terrorism, counter-foreign interference, national resilience, Commonwealth security policy, protective security for parliamentarians, cyber and technology security, critical infrastructure, transport security, criminal justice, and law enforcement.
Supporting the restructure will be Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology Brendan Dowling, who becomes Ambassador for Critical Infrastructure and Protective Security from August 14. He will be joined by Justine Jones, Sally Pfeiffer, and Philip Kimpton, leading the infrastructure risk, policy, and resilience areas.
“That is going to be a very strong policy and programming coordination function for us to think about opportunities to protect Australians in the division that looks at tech, cyber, and foreign interference,” Hansford said.
National cyber security coordinator Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness remains in her role and continues reporting directly to the Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke.
“In my group, we handle a lot of cybersecurity [policies] and I speak with Michelle multiple times a week,” Hansford said. “Her role hasn’t changed; she still reports directly to the minister. However, we collaborate with her almost daily.”
The restructure includes the renaming of the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre to the Critical Infrastructure Security Centre, reflecting what Hansford described as an “all-hazards mission”. A Protective Security Coordination Centre has also been created to unify security functions for government, high office holders, and parliamentarians.
“That will be very important to bring together all our security functions for the protection of the Australian Government, Australian high office holders, and Australian parliamentarians,” said Hansford. “It effectively creates a centre of excellence in security.
“Putting that function together with critical infrastructure security makes government part of critical infrastructure in and of itself.”
Hansford outlined 3 drivers behind the restructure. The first was consolidating security functions within Home Affairs to create a unified agenda focused on ambition, execution, and delivery. The second was the evolving threat environment, which he said required more integrated responses.
“We are not managing yesterday’s risks,” he said. “Australia has entered into a period of strategic surprise and security vulnerability.”
“There are lots of different parts of our work – whether it’s foreign interference, terrorism, infrastructure, transport security – we want to think more holistically about the environment we have in the future.”
Hansford said the third driver was workforce development across the national security profession, starting with public service security professionals, with funding a key consideration as the training program evolves.
“We have ambitions to uplift the security profession broadly,” Hansford said. “Initially, we want to focus on Australian government security professionals.”
“We now partner with the APS Academy, which provides a lot of training, and you’ll notice the cybersecurity strategy included funding for their security education efforts.”
“We’re also considering accreditation programs and building a cadre of chief security officers, not just in government but across industry.”
You can find the Protective Security Policy Framework here, or read more SEN news here.
“Australia Restructures National Security Framework, Including Critical Infrastructure, Protective Security, Cyber Security And More.”
