by Chris Cubbage, Editor, Australia in Space
The 2nd Australian Space Cyber Forum was held in Adelaide yesterday gathering space and cybersecurity professionals to discuss technical best practices, policy direction, AUKUS, future technologies and maintaining security and integrity of space systems and services.
Ronald Keene, Senior Advisor of Space, National Risk Management Centre with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Organised by Agora High-Tech, CyberOps and Flinders University, the full day program was officially opened by the Hon. Stephen Mullighan MP, South Australia’s Treasurer and Minister for Defence and Space Industries, and heard from Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness CSC, National Cyber Security Coordinator with the National Office of Cyber Security and Ronald Keene, Senior Advisor of Space, National Risk Management Centre with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Ronald Keene emphasised the dependency we have on space systems, saying, “I can tell you that every critical infrastructure that we rely on, has direct and indirect dependencies on space. That dependency is growing. It’s expanding. And it’s doing so at an exponential pace. It’s doing so at a pace that’s so rapid, that sometimes it’s hard to understand and that offers our adversaries an opportunity to exploit that.”
Jarrod Powell, General Manager, National Space Capability, Technology and Programs with the Australian Space Agency on stage
Jarrod Powell, General Manager, National Space Capability, Technology and Programs with the Australian Space Agency alerted the audience that the Office of the Space Regulator was alive to the cybersecurity challenges that the space sector faced and is reviewing if further requirements are needed within this scope.
An outcome of the forum included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Space ISAC (Information Sharing & Analysis Centre) and the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre. Erin Miller, Executive Director with the Space ISAC, based in Colorado Springs, confirmed this was the first such agreement of its kind in Australia.
The 3rd Australian Space Cyber Forum has been scheduled for 5 July, 2025 in Adelaide.
Matthew Salier, CEO of the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre and Erin Miller, Executive Director with Space ISAC signing the memorandum of understanding between the two organisations.
Australia in Space were official media partners to the Forum.
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