Melbourne, Edith Cowan unis to host Australia's first cyber training centres

The University of Melbourne and Edith Cowan University have been given $1.9 million to establish information security training centres intended to help address a shortage in cyber security professionals.

The academic centres of cyber security excellence (ACCSE) were announced last year as part of the federal government's $230 million cyber security strategy.

Cyber minister Dan Tehan today said the Australian infosec industry looked likely to triple in size over the next decade, meaning great opportunities for qualified professionals.

Education minister Simon Birmingham said the ACCSEs aimed to encourage more students to take up undergraduate and postgraduate studies, as well as cyber security research.

The government also hopes the centres will spur commercialisation of this research.

It has allocated $1.9 million over four years to fund the centres, shared between the two universities.

The government also put aside $400 million in its Defence white paper last year ro develop the country's cyber capabilities and hire 800 cyber specialists.