Grant Award View - GA199804

Cybersecurity ensures that data, including personal information, intellectual property, industry information and even state secrets, are protected from theft and damage by criminal adversaries. Yet, malicious hacking continues to occur frequently in both Australia and Japan. In particular, universities in both countries have coped a fair share of such incidents (eg., see https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australian-universities-investigating-deeply-concerning-hack-of-controversial-exam-software and https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Universities-the-weak-link-when-hackers-strike-Japan). This unwelcome and even dangerous situation indicates that much work is still needed to understand and develop safe and effective cybersecurity practices. This project aims to bring together top researchers in cybersecurity in Australia and Japan to share knowledge and expertise, in order to guide, identify and develop the best practices in both countries’ universities. The project involves a collaboration between UniSA and NII (Japan) to facilitate guest lectures and joint symposium in cybersecurity, including the use of blockchain technology. The events shall be promoted to all Japanese and Australian universities. This would enable greater engagement between the universities, as well as relevant government organizations, to address critical challenges and deliver innovative solutions to tackle cybercrimes. The project will also expose Australian and Japanese postgraduate students to opportunities in joint research or exchange programs, thereby helping their career growth and further cementing bilateral research relationships.