The release of the 2021-22 Australian Federal Budget has shown a big win for the digital economy in Australia. The Budget revealed there will be $1.2 billion invested towards digital strategy, which includes a $124 million investment for research and industry capabilities in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence, led by the CSIRO.
Training and Development
The budget is expected to cover the training and development of cyber-skills that are in current shortage in the Australian job market, which will see more institutes provide training programs that address the current threat landscape of the cyber environment. There will also be $1.9 billion invested over several years, to boost Australia’s national security, intelligence and law enforcement, with $1.3 billion of those funds going to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). The rest of the investment is allocated to the following:
- The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission receives $51.8 million
- $464.7 million to strengthen detention centres
- $38.1 million for managing irregular migration population by Indonesian migrants
In addition to those investments, there is also $270 billion for enhancing Defence capabilities, of which $747 million dollars will be invested in upgrading Defence bases, which will be part of a decade commitment to this project.
It looks like the defence and cybersecurity industries are set for a strong boost from the government, which will stimulate more opportunities in the job market along, with filling in the gaps and staying ahead in dealing with major cyber threats.
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Author: Saeed Baayoun