Australian Information Security Association

4 5 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 to speak with the Chairperson of AISA’s Board of Directors, Mr. Damien Manuel, to learn more about AISA and the future of cyber security in Australia. BVM: Let’s start with a bit of a history on the association –what was the mindset when you were founded and how it has evolved? Manuel: “Well, AISA originally started through a number of interested individuals in what was called, back then, information security. Over the last 21 years, it’s grown into a not- for-profit charity that is focused on improving the education and understanding of cyber security in our community, businesses, and across the industry sector. We also work to help improve cyber security professionals in terms of knowledge sharing, connecting with industry resources, building networks, and expanding their understanding. Cyber security is such a diverse field- this makes our work especially important. “In terms of our staff, we have grown to six FTE. AISA also has over 120 volunteers across the country in addition to a board of 12, who are all volunteers, as well.” BVM: What have the biggest challenges been for the association and for the industry? Manuel: “I think the biggest challenge for the industry is that everybody thinks of cyber security as being something technical, but at the end of the day, cyber security is just another risk that businesses need to manage. That encompasses the culture within organisations and the processes that might need to change from a business perspective to ensure proper security, and the technology that improves efficiency. The misperception is that cyber security is all about the technology when it really is just managing another risk. It’s important not to forget the people and process aspects.” BVM: How many members do you have and what are the general benefits of membership? Manuel: We have over 7,600 members. We have people who are, for example, cyber security professionals who we would term as paid, full members. Then we have another tier, which is what we call an associate member, which tends to be students who are coming into the sector. We also have a corporate partnership program, where a company, for example, might want to partner with the association. And as a result, they can take advantage of membership for their staff who might be in cybersecurity, law, risk management, or technology. “Members get access to our newsletter, our branch events that occur across the country every month, and our signature conference, which occurs in Melbourne and is the largest cyber security conference in the country. “Members also get discounts on training through a number of our partners. They can do training through AISA, as well. And because we are a not- for-profit, charity organisation, we keep the cost of training extremely low and make it accessible. Some of the other benefits that members get are attending not just physical branch activities, but also a cloud or virtual branch. So if you want to find out something new or join what we call a special interest group, you can meet like-minded individuals discussing a particular topic area.” BVM: Are there any significant AISA events coming up? Manuel: “We run a one-day conference in Perth, Brisbane, and South Australia, and we run a 3-day conference in Canberra which is mainly focused on government agencies and departments. Our signature conference in Melbourne is set to be held in October. We are designing the conference around 7,000 delegates with about 20 streams going concurrently, as well as keynote speakers. We’ve got Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, and Erin Brockovich…. There’s something for everyone, so our community can learn how AUSTRAL I AN INFORMAT ION SECUR I TY ASSOC I AT ION (A I SA)