Critical.
Authoritative.
Strategic.
Subscribe to CIO Magazine »

Australian cyber crime investigation skills lacking says Swinburne professor

New postgraduate course aims to get more eForensic experts in workforce

A high number of Australian cyber crime incidents are not investigated due to a lack of eForensic skills and expertise, Swinburne University ICT dean, professor Leon Sterling, has claimed.

Speaking to Computerworld Australia, Sterling said while Australia had pockets of eForensics skills, such as in the Australian Federal Police, these were typically only available in high-profile cases leaving a shortage of skills for use in smaller instances of cyber crime.

"The police usually get involved with high profile investigations but they don’t often don't have time to investigate the small incidents,” he said. “Unfortunately there are lot more incidents happening and there is a need for a lot more people to be trained.

"There is a whole lot of crime and incidents that don’t get investigated because there aren’t the resources to do it."

Sterling's comments precede the launch in November by the university of a new postgraduate course in eForensics, designed to arm professionals with many of the skills needed to tackle cyber crime and cyber misconduct.

According to Sterling the course was developed after consultation with the ICT industry, which had concerns that infiltration of organisations by cyber criminals had led to a substantial upturn in the need for legal and technical advice about cyber crime.

Sterling claimed more than 100 people had expressed interest in enrolling in the new course and that there were "hundreds" of jobs available in the eForensics sector.

“School teachers who were trying to explain to students why ICT is important hadn’t realised that there is this eForensics component," he said. "Investigating cyber crime sounds a lot more exciting than some other ICT careers."

According to course convenor, Dr Vivienne Farrell, the graduate certificate in eForensics was targeted at professionals from business, government, law enforcement agencies and small to medium sized enterprises.

“It will appeal to those trying to protect their organisation’s digital operations as well as those involved in investigating and prosecuting cyber crimes,” she said in a statement.

Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

More about: Australian Federal Police, Federal Police, Sterling, Swinburne University

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Users posting comments agree to the CIO comments policy.
Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.
Related Coverage
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
Tags: cyber crime, cyber security, eforensics, security, Swinburne University
Latest Blog Posts
Whitepapers
  • So Long, Silos: Why Multi-Domain MDM Is Better For Your Business
    Say “so long” to silos. This white paper explains why a multi-domain MDM solution is far better than single-domain, single-focused point solutions. You’ll learn what to look for in a multi-domain solution so you don’t outgrow it or are forced to purchase multiple products down the road. You’ll also get tips on how to select a multi-domain solution that can lead to multiple benefits over many years. The age of multi-domain MDM is here. See why you should say “hello” to it!
    Learn more »
  • Why Encrypt? Securing Email without compromising communications.
    Encryption is a vital component of any DLP strategy. It allows businesses to exchange sensitive information without compromising on security; even if data is intercepted, encryption makes it unreadable and renders it tamper-proof. Read on.
    Learn more »
  • HP ePrint Enterprise mobile printing solution
    The merger of mobile devices and cloud services has become one of the most significant enablers of business productivity and innovation in the past decade. We now hold the power of communicating and computing in the palms of our hands, nearly anywhere business or life takes us. However, one key business process has eluded the mobility movement: printing. Even the most technically enabled business travelers find themselves hunting down print services while on the road and interrupting IT managers when visiting a branch office simply to print a document. But finally, a truly mobile print experience is available—helping enterprises to drive business productivity further. Read more.
    Learn more »
All whitepapers
rhs_login_lockGet exclusive access to Invitation only events CIO, reports & analysis.
Recent comments