New Australian National Cyber Security Centre

The Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard,  visited the Australian Defence Department's Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) at the Defence Signals Directorate in Canberra to announce an "Australian cyber security centre to be established". This followed the launch of the  "Strong and Secure: A Strategy for Australia’s National Security". The centre is planned to be staffed by the Defence Signals Directorate, Defence Intelligence Organisation, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Attorney-General’s Department’s Computer Emergency Response Team Australia, Australian Federal Police and the Australian Crime Commission. However, I suggest the government personnel will need to be supplemented by industry and academia, as that is where the greatest expertise in cyber-security resides and because it is the civilian infrastructure which is more vital and more at risk than government computer systems. It is not clear where the new centre will be located, when it will be established or what budget it will have. The DSD Cyber Security Operations Centre would be an obvious choice, but it may not be large enough. Also it is not clear if one physical centre is needed, or if it would be better to connect existing centres of expertise secure broadband links. A one minute video of the PM's Australian National Cyber Security Centre presentation is available;e from the Defecne Department. Interestingly, the PM mentions being "in the pit", referring to the horseshoe shaped sunken section of the centre.