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Government

Govt kills negotiations with AusCERT

The Attorney-General's Department has chosen not to partner with the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team (AusCERT), ceasing negotiations with the security organisation.
Written by Ben Grubb, Contributor

The Attorney-General's Department has chosen not to partner with the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team (AusCERT), ceasing negotiations with the security organisation.

Last November, Australian Attorney General Robert McClelland launched an in-depth Cyber Security Strategy for the nation, supported by a new Computer Emergency Response Team, called CERT Australia, to rival the existing AusCERT.

The negotiations, probing whether a partnership could exist between the organisations, had been going on for over twelve months.

"We are disappointed the Attorney-General's Department has chosen not to partner with AusCERT in support of the national CERT role. However, we believe there is room for both teams to operate as CERT Australia has indicated it is primarily interested in helping critical infrastructure," Jeremy Crowley, director of AusCERT and information technology services at the University of Queensland, said.

AusCERT said business would go on as before, with the organisation continuing to provide services, including bulletins, incident response coordination and other benefits, to its members and the Australian public. "There are many organisations who will continue to benefit from AusCERT's expertise and services," Crowley said.

"We hope that CERT Australia won't use taxpayer funds to duplicate the services of a not-for-profit organisation that has a proven track record for delivering these services effectively for many years."

Last month, AusCERT general manager Graham Ingram told ZDNet Australia that the two CERTs would be complementary, but that having more than one point of contact could be confusing for organisations looking for security aid.

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