Australia's research and education sector is a cornerstone of innovation, fostering the intellectual growth that drives the nation's future. However, the evolving cyber threat landscape poses significant challenges to safeguarding the vast quantities of sensitive research data these institutions hold, while still enabling open collaboration.

The research and education sector thrives on openness and the sharing of data and resources across borders and institutions. While this collaborative approach is vital for research and innovation, it also creates vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. Balancing security with the essential need for openness is a delicate challenge that must be managed with care.

The sector's diverse digital research infrastructure, ranging from legacy systems to cutting-edge technology and third-party services, further complicate the implementation of standardised cyber security practices, making it difficult to uniformly protect against threats.

The human factor also remains a persistent challenge. The large and often transient populations of students, staff, and researchers make consistent cyber security awareness and behaviour hard to maintain. Ongoing education and resources are necessary to ensure everyone adheres to best practices in cyber security.

Session Overview

AARNet is hosting a Birds of a Feather (BoF) session about Addressing the growing Cyber-Security concerns with Digital Research Infrastructure at the eResearch Australasia 2024 Conference on Tuesday 29 October at 12:10pm. This session will identify and discuss the critical gaps in cyber security within the Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) that underpins the research sector.

Despite the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks, is the DRI sector keeping pace with these challenges, or is there more that can be done?

Key representatives from the sector will outline the concerns and challenges for DRI providers, exploring the unique vulnerabilities of the academic research environment, such as decentralised infrastructures, open-access policies, and the inherently collaborative nature of research projects.

The discussion will also cover the disparities in cyber security maturity across institutions, the need for specialised training for researchers, and the complications arising from the integration of diverse and often outdated legacy systems. The session will examine the influence of different geopolitical factors on research and the overall cyber security landscape.

Through this collaborative discussion, we aim to identify gaps and foster a culture of cyber security awareness. Attendees will have the opportunity to share experiences, best practices, and potential solutions, contributing to the strengthening of cyber security resilience across the academic research community.

Join us for this crucial conversation as we work together to protect the integrity and future of academic research from the ever-evolving cyber threats.