Cyber security

Australia’s talking tough on a new cyber taskforce to ‘hack the hackers’, but that also puts a target on our national back

- November 17, 2022 3 MIN READ

The Australian government is launching an offensive against cybercriminals, following a data breach that has exposed millions of people’s personal information. On November 12, Minister for Cyber Security Clare O’Neil announced a taskforce to “hack the hackers” behind the recent Medibank data breach. The taskforce will be a first-of-its-kind permanent, joint collaboration between Australian Federal… Read more »

Politics

Here’s are lot of mostly nice things tech people are saying about a federal budget that delivered on promises

- October 26, 2022 8 MIN READ

Labor’s first federal budget has been widely welcomed by the tech sector, despite one analyst telling Startup Daily it was “a non-event” for tech. We called it a “socks, jocks and chocolates” budget from Labor, just five months after taking power and seven months before Treasure Jim Chalmers returns with his plans for FY24. There… Read more »

Ed Husic
Politics

‘A non-event for Australian tech’: here’s what’s in the federal budget for the tech and startup sectors

- October 26, 2022 3 MIN READ

On Monday, as federal treasurer Jim Chalmers sent his first Labor budget to the printers, a bunch of PRs on expensive retainers to startups sent Startup Daily their pre-budget wish lists. It was little like emailing Santa you Amazon gift list on Christmas eve. On Tuesday, Chalmers delivered socks, jocks and chocolates in the second… Read more »

cyber hacking
Politics

The Optus data breach shows why Australia needs mandatory disclosure laws

- October 20, 2022 3 MIN READ

The Optus data breach, which has affected close to 10 million Australians, has sparked calls for changes to Australia’s privacy laws, placing limits on what and for how long organisations can hold our personal data. Equally important is to strengthen obligations for organisations to publicly disclose data breaches. Optus made a public announcement about its… Read more »

Ed Husic
Politics

Flinders Uni ‘factory of the future’ scores $10 million to help defence manufacturing startups

- October 19, 2022 2 MIN READ

Flinders University’s Factory of the Future facility at the Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide will receive $10.1 million in next week’s federal budget to ramp up its advanced manufacturing support for small business and defence startups. The announcement follows through on an election pledge made by Labor in May during the campaign. Industry and science… Read more »

Politics

Web developers are among 10 IT roles added to the federal government’s national skills shortage list

- October 7, 2022 2 MIN READ

The National Skills Commission has added 10 more IT-related occupations to its list of skills facing national shortages, once again highlighting the need to train more technology talent in Australia. Web developers, database admins, and business analysts are now among jobs on the Commission’s official skills shortage list which informs Australia’s migration and skills development policies.… Read more »

Optus
Cyber security

The government is making regulatory changes in response to the Optus data breach, but legislative reform still needed

- October 7, 2022 2 MIN READ

In response to Australia’s biggest ever data breach, the federal government will temporarily suspend regulations that stop telcos sharing customer information with third parties. It’s a necessary step to deal with the threat of identify theft faced by 10 million current and former Optus customers. It will allow Optus to work with banks and government… Read more »

Google, Mel Silva
Politics

The Australian Senate is holding an inquiry into the market dominance of Big Tech, including Meta, Google, Apple & Amazon

- October 5, 2022 3 MIN READ

Years after launch of the Digital Platform Services Inquiry (DPSI), so-called Big Tech firms face further scrutiny after the Senate announced a second inquiry into their market share, manipulation of customers, vertical integration, and use of proprietary algorithms. The Senate Standing Committees on Economics’ Influence of International Digital Platforms inquiry has been tasked with exploring the degree… Read more »

Fintech

‘A good first step’: Fintech Australia responds to Council of Financial Regulators report into de-banking

- October 4, 2022 3 MIN READ

A review into how to tackle the ongoing problem of de-banking in the fintech sector by the Council of Financial Regulators has come back with four key recommendations for the Australian government that industry lobby group Fintech Australia describes as “a good first step” on the issue. In March, the former Coalition government asked the… Read more »

Andrew Bragg
Cryptocurrency

Crypto advocate Senator Andrew Bragg has launched his own digital assets legislation to Parliament

- September 23, 2022 3 MIN READ

The architect of Australia’s first response to regulating digital assets in Australia has lost patience with the new government, issuing his own draft legislation in a bid to push Labor to act on the issue. Liberal senator Andrew Bragg coauthored a landmark Senate Select Committee report into digital asset regulation last year, investigating issues such… Read more »

Silicon Quantum Computing founder Michelle Simmons
Quantum Computing

The biggest names in quantum startups are part of a new government advisory group to help make it happen

- September 23, 2022 2 MIN READ

Leading startup founders in the quantum computing spaced have been enlisted by federal industry and science minister Ed Husic as part of the new advisory committee to drive the National Quantum Strategy. The 15-person committee, chaired by Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley, will be an integral part of the push to coordinate Australia’s quantum capability… Read more »

Ed Husic
Women in tech

Government reviews science and tech diversity programs to get more women into STEM

- September 6, 2022 3 MIN READ

Women are seen as a key part of the federal government’s target of 1.2 million tech-related jobs by 2030, with industry and science minister Ed Husic announcing a review into greater female participation and diversity in the science and technology sectors. Husic has ordered a review by his Department into existing government programs supporting diversity,… Read more »