NSW govt appoints new cyber chief

The NSW government has appointed Tony Chapman to oversee its realigned government-wide cyber security office as the state's new chief cyber security officer.

Tony Chapman

Chapman, who has been acting chief information security officer since the departure of former CISO Maria Milosavljevic, took up the new position today.

Milosavljevic left the government-wide role after a year-and-a-half in January to become federal Department of Human Services’ inaugural chief data officer.

Chapman will take charge of the new whole-of-government cyber office, dubbed Cyber Security NSW, which has been established in the newly created Department of Customer Service.

Chief information and digital officer Greg Wells said the new office was critical to achieving the vision of the new department, and as such would “have a renewed focus on digital transformation and improving customer service outcomes”.

“Cyber Security NSW will continue its critical work enhancing whole-of-government cyber security capabilities and standards on behalf of NSW, he said.

“It will also work more closely with the Information and Privacy Commission on security, privacy and the availability of systems and services during the State’s digital transformation.”

Before taking on the interim CISO post in January, Chapman was the CISO office’s director of cyber security engagement and prevention after being hand picked by Milosavljevic in January 2018.

He previously spent 10 years at the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) as its government relations and engagement manger and the Crime Commission and CrimTrac – which merged to create the ACIC in July 2016 – before that.

Chapman told iTnews his initial focus would be around building the intelligence and operations capability now that the strategy and policy platform is in place.

“My initial priority is on looking at what our intelligence or our operations type capability is. So working with the Australian Cyber Security Centre and looking at best practices both in Australia and internationally.”

Other priorities include working with the Office of Emergency Management to ensure cyber readiness, lifting “cyber hygiene” across agencies and continuing to implement the cyber security strategy.

“Tony and his team will build on the digital transformation work occurring across the NSW Government, ensuring our digital spaces are safeguarded against cyber threats,” Wells said.