Held from 7-11 October, the third annual Cyber Week provides opportunities for Australian cyber security and related organisations to showcase their capabilities and network with peers, potential investors and customers.

“Cyber Week 2019 is one of AustCyber’s key areas of delivery under our mission to grow a globally competitive cyber security sector. The events during Australia’s Cyber Week connect Australian capabilities with key domestic and international stakeholders who are contributing to the growth and success of the sector, and creates further opportunities to enhance future economic growth,” said Michelle Price, CEO of AustCyber.

The flagship event of the annual showcase is the Australian Cyber Conference - also known as CyberCon - held in Melbourne, and convened by the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) and the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

The conference, from 7-9 October, will see industry experts providing their insights and best practices through a series of keynotes, plenary sessions and networking events, with delegates attending come from a broad range of industries from education to finance, government, healthcare, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and utilities.

“Cyber Week 2019 is one of AustCyber’s key areas of delivery under our mission to grow a globally competitive cyber security sector,” said Michelle Price, CEO of AustCyber.

“The events during Australia’s Cyber Week connect Australian capabilities with key domestic and international stakeholders who are contributing to the growth and success of the sector, and creates further opportunities to enhance future economic growth.”

"The Australian Cyber Conference is the event that makes the biggest impact nationally in advancing our industry's skills and professionalism,” said Damien Manuel, Chair of the Australian Information Security Association (AISA).

“Our mission is to make Australians more cyber safe and secure."

This year, Australian Cyber Week also aligns with Stay Smart Online Week, being held from 7-13 October. All Australians are encouraged to take control of their online identity by reviewing privacy settings, knowing how to spot phishing scams, creating strong and unique passwords and turning on two-factor authentication.

Stay Smart Online Week is aimed at providing an opportunity for governments, industry, small business operators and community groups to raise awareness about the ways people can protect themselves online.

The theme this year is 'Reverse the Threat' of cybercrime by empowering Australians to take control of their online identity by reviewing privacy settings, knowing how to spot phishing scams, creating strong and unique passwords and turning on two-factor authentication.

Commenting on Stay Smart Online Week, Bede Hackney, ANZ country manager, Tenable said: “In today’s digital-everything world, so much of our lives are available online and accessible across multiple devices”.

“We have grown accustomed to sharing our personal information online, sometimes without giving thought to the potential consequences. Personally identifiable information has become an attractive target for cybercriminals. One way to safeguard against having information compromised is to not just rely on a few favourite passwords that are easyto guess. With data breaches happening so frequently, I cannot stress enough the importance of creating unique, strong password combinations.

“The most effective method is to use a password manager to create and store complex passwords. I’d also strongly encourage Australians to enable two-factor authentication to protect their accounts. It’s simple to use and provides an additional layer of security. Adopting these practices are the first steps in staying smart online.”