Attorney General reveals CERT workload

CERT Australia has reported that it received 1,000 requests for assistance during its first eight months of operation with a quarter of requests escalated to the Cyber Security Operations Centre.

Linked gallery: Photos: Launch of CERT Australia's Brisbane office

Attorney-General Robert McClelland revealed the figures while speaking about Australia's involvement in the international cyber security exercise, Cyber Storm III, in parliamentary question time.

CERT Australia was now the ‘official' computer emergency response team. The Government-run computer emergency response team started operating in late January 2010.

"CERT Australia received 1,000 requests for assistance," McClelland said.

"About a quarter were deemed to warrant significant assistance from the Cyber Security Operations Centre", he said, which was operated by the Defence Signals Directorate.

The Cyber Storm III exercise simulated cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure and other nationally important systems and services.

It was the third exercise of its kind that Australia had taken part in. It also included involvement from the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand and "over 50 organisations from the communications, finance, transport, government and utilities sectors."