Defence SA will hold the first in a series of forums today that are aimed at getting South Australian companies ready to take part in lucrative Defence contracts.
Minister for Defence Industries Martin Hamilton-Smith said the forums were about supporting local companies and giving them a competitive edge to win work in the supply chain for upcoming defence programs and were in line with his message to industry to get smart, get organised and get strategic.
Today’s forum at Technology Park is aimed at getting firms cyber ready, recognising that defence
contracts increasingly require companies to be able to access information at high security levels safely and demonstrate a level of compliance.
Twenty four companies will attend the inaugural forum with more events to be scheduled for early 2017 to assist companies in developing risk management plans to mitigate the cyber threat.
Background
The forum gives an overview of the current cyber threat in Australia, an overview of the current
assessed resilience of defence SMEs, an industry perspective from local companies Codan and BAE, and information about the resources currently available in South Australia.
Construction of the $3 billion Offshore Patrol Vessels starts at Techport in 2018; it will lead to 400-plus direct and 400 indirect jobs. The $35 billion Future Frigate program is due to commence in Adelaide in 2020. It will lead to approximately 2000 direct jobs.
Construction of the 12 Future Submarines will start in 2022. Worth $50 billion, French designer DCNS estimates the submarines project represents 2900 direct jobs in South Australia, with 1700 jobs at ASC, 100 jobs at DCNS office, 600 jobs in supply chain, 500 jobs in combat system integration.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Defence Industries Martin Hamilton-Smith
Now is not the time to rest on our laurels. There is a significant body of work on the near, medium and far horizons for our state’s industries. We need to ensure our companies are equipped to demonstrate their cyber ready capabilities, giving themselves an edge over their competitors to win work in the upcoming multi-billion dollar defence programs.
With Australia seeking to become a global cyber security leader, an understanding and plan for cyber awareness and risk management is essential for all industries.
Cyber attacks can cause irreparable damage to a company’s reputation. There is a perception that it only happens to the larger companies, but history shows it can and will happen to smaller companies in the supply chain.
This is another example of the support the South Australian Government is providing to our local
defence industry to ensure they have the best possible chance to secure defence work