The ISACA Canberra Chapter is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a panel on March 30th featuring experts from the public and private sectors in Australia to discuss bridging the gap between business and cybersecurity risk management. The discussion will focus on challenges like cybersecurity skills shortages and recent cyberattacks. With a survey finding 61% of Australian professionals expecting a cyberattack in 2015, the panel will address how organizations can better prepare and respond to attacks through improved collaboration between risk management and IT departments. The event is aimed at promoting information sharing and solutions to ensure critical systems remain protected against growing cybersecurity threats.

1. Australian experts to address cybersecurity challenges and solutions at Canberra
event
 ISACA Canberra Chapter celebrates 30th
anniversary with panel on 30 March
 Public- and private-sector representatives to discuss ‘Bridging the Gap’ between business and
ICT risk management departments
Canberra, AUSTRALIA (xx February 2015) – With recent cyberattacks resulting in IT governance and
security issues coming to the forefront, global IT association ISACA celebrates its Canberra Chapter’s 30th
year anniversary with a panel featuring local and international ICT experts.
Held in Canberra on Monday 30th
March, representatives from both the public and private sector will
come together to discuss ‘Bridging the Divide’, how business and ICT risk management professionals can
come together to ensure risk management practices are aligned to mitigate key risks, including
cybersecurity skill shortages and mounting cyberattacks globally.
Facilitated by Robert E Stroud, CGEIT, CRISC, international president of ISACA and vice president of
strategy and innovation at CA Technologies, and attended by ISACA CEO Matt Loeb, the discussion will
involve:
 David Diment, Deputy Commissioner Service Delivery, Australian Taxation Office
 Matthew Yannopoulos, Chief Information Officer, Department of Immigration and Border
Protection
 Anthony Willis, Partner Head of Government Sector, DLA Piper Australia
 Garry Barnes, ISACA International Vice President & Practice Lead, Governance Advisory, Vital
Interacts
The panel breakfast follows recent research* from ISACA that shows close to half (46 per cent) of global
respondents expect their organisation to face a cyberattack in 2015. Locally, in Australia/New Zealand
(ANZ), respondents feel that attack is even more likely with 61 per cent expecting a cyberattack this
year. Furthermore, less than half of ANZ IT professionals (43 per cent) say they are prepared, in part
attributed to a global shortage of skilled cybersecurity personnel.
As panellist Garry Barnes, ISACA International Vice President and Governance Advisory Practice Lead at
Vital Interacts, explains: “Cybersecurity is an issue that unites all sectors of the industry. As the Internet
of Things becomes more prevalent, we need to be prepared for the increase in potentially vulnerable
connected devices.
“Cybersecurity is essential for all organisations and the discussion needs to focus around how to deal
with attacks, not the potential for an attack to occur. Data can be a company’s biggest asset, and
likewise a government’s largest priority to protect, so uniting the industry to discuss items such as the
chronic security skills shortage are imperative.”

2. The ISACA Canberra Chapter was founded in 1985 and now has over 330 members. The chapter was
recently awarded the 2014 K. Wayne Snipes award for the Best Large ISACA Chapter in Oceania.
Joining the panel will be Chief Information Officer for the Department of Immigration and Border
Protection Matthew Yannopoulos. “I’m looking forward to discussing and hearing how other senior
leaders are managing complex operating environments and still innovating for change,” said Matthew.
As Canberra Chapter President David Berkelmans adds: “We have a very active chapter in Canberra,
which is partly due to the immense security needs of the Australian government and business
organisations that support it. Discussions such as the upcoming panel breakfast are essential to promote
debate and inspire action to ensure our vital information systems are protected and prepared should
they come under attack. In Canberra the attitude in the past has been IT security is IT’s problem. This
attitude has changed in recent years with acknowledgement that IT security is everyone’s problem.
“We’re honoured to have the ISACA CEO and International President contribute to this important
discussion during their visit from the US, as well as the Australian-based International Vice President to
provide a local perspective.”
The 30th
Anniversary Panel Breakfast is sponsored by BAE Systems Allied Intelligence and will take place
from 7-11am on Monday 30th
March 2015 at Hotel Realm Canberra. More information and tickets
are available at: www.isaca.org/canberra-breakfast.
ISACA’s Support in Cybersecurity
ISACA is a global leader in cybersecurity. The association assisted the North American-based National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the development of the U.S. Cybersecurity Framework,
ISACA is responding to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Cyber Security Review with a
demonstration of the association’s proven track record in providing certifications, research and
education materials in Information Technology Governance and Risk. It is through effective governance
and risk that the value of investment in technology can be realised whilst managing the risks, including
cyber security risks. ISACA’s Cybersecurity Nexus (CSX) addresses the cyber security skills shortage being
assessed by the review.
In late 2014, ISACA launched the Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate, designed for university
students and recent graduates, entry-level security professionals and those seeking a career change. The
certificate addresses the global skills shortage by helping organisations quickly identify candidates with a
foundational level of cybersecurity knowledge, while helping the most qualified job seekers distinguish
themselves. In October 2015, ISACA will host the first CSX conference in Washington DC to bring
together global thought leaders in cybersecurity.
*The 2015 Global Cybersecurity Status Report, conducted January 13-15, 2015, is based on online
polling of 3,439 ISACA members in 129 countries, with 121 respondents from Oceania (comprising
Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea). The survey has +/- 1.7 per cent margin of error at a 95
per cent confidence level. For additional survey results, graphics and insights from cybersecurity experts,
visit www.isaca.org/cybersecurityreport . To learn about the credentials, guidance and resources offered
in ISACA’s CSX, visit www.isaca.org/cyber.

3. About ISACA
With more than 115,000 constituents in 180 countries, ISACA®
(www.isaca.org) helps business and IT
leaders build trust in, and value from, information and information systems. Established in 1969, ISACA
is the trusted source of knowledge, standards, networking, and career development for cybersecurity
and information systems audit, risk, privacy and governance professionals. ISACA offers the
Cybersecurity Nexus™
, a comprehensive set of resources for cybersecurity professionals, and COBIT®
, a
business framework that helps enterprises govern and manage their information and technology. ISACA
also advances and validates business-critical skills and knowledge through the globally respected
Certified Information Systems Auditor®
(CISA®
), Certified Information Security Manager®
(CISM®
),
Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT®
(CGEIT®
) and Certified in Risk and Information Systems
Control™
(CRISC™
) credentials. The association has more than 200 chapters worldwide.
Follow ISACA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ISACANews
Join ISACA on LinkedIn: ISACA (Official), http://linkd.in/ISACAOfficial
Like ISACA on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ISACAHQ
Cybersecurity Nexus Newsroom: www.isaca.org/cybersecurity-news
Media Contact:
Julie Fenwick, +61 468 901 655, Jfenwick@iconinternational.com.au