BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, 7 MAY 2024: AUSCERT, one of Australia’s only computer emergency response team’s (CERT), and one of the oldest CERTs in the world, today announces the appointment of Dr Ivano Bongiovanni as General Manager to lead the not-for-profit organisation into a new era as a trusted ally to assist businesses in the battle against escalating cyber-crime.

AUSCERT is also set to launch its new logo, branding and enhanced website in front of more than 800 delegates at its pioneering international conference at the Star on the Gold Coast on 21-24 May.

Dr Bongiovanni comes to AUSCERT with a distinguished international career spanning more than 20 years in cyber security and risk management. Dr Bongiovanni joins AUSCERT from the University of Queensland, where he holds a position as Senior Lecturer in Information Security, Governance, and Leadership. Prior to this, Dr Bongiovanni was a Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow and PwC Chair in Digital Economy.

Dr Bongiovanni commenced his career as a Police Officer with the Italian Ministry and was the Deputy Venue Security Manager at the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, where he delivered the venue security plan, coordinated security services for the main media centre, the Olympic Stadium (opening ceremony) and the Paralympic Village. He holds a PhD in Risk Management in international airports.

Dr Bongiovanni says he was attracted to join AUSCERT because of the organisation’s strong 30-year history at the forefront of cyber security intelligence and education and this was a key to his decision to relocate to Brisbane.

“I am delighted to be assisting AUSCERT in a critical juncture in its history as the NFP works to bolster our national security, playing an even more crucial role than ever before. I am excited to meet with our members and prospective future members to learn more about how we can assist them to meet the challenges of an escalating threat environment with unprecedented attack velocity.
“As one of the longest running CERTs in the world, AUSCERT has a strong tradition in assisting public and private sector organisations meet their KPIs in cyber security. After 30 years, the organisation is stepping into a new area. This will require us to re-think how we do things, partnering closely with our members to help them understand where their vulnerabilities are, and how we can help to address them, and never stop innovating,” he explains.

Dr Bongiovanni in his new role as General Manager at AUSCERT is currently focused on several projects including building a Cyber Leadership Network to help leaders in the industry better network and collaborate, solidifying AUSCERT’s current offerings, and expanding its capabilities in the governance, risk and compliance space.

Commenting on the appointment, Dr David Stockdale, Director, AUSCERT says, “We are delighted to welcome Dr Bongiovanni to the team. His background and experience are key to leading us into the future and partnering closely with our members to make a positive difference in their organisations in the battle against cyber-crime.”

As part of the focus on entering a new era, AUSCERT is set to unveil its new logo, brand identity and website at the upcoming national conference in its mission to enhance its position as a trusted industry ally.

The new logo and design will reflect a more simplified contemporary feel and colour palate. The new website will group member services into key pillars of incident support, vulnerability management, threat intelligence, training and education. It will also introduce governance, risk and compliance to the expanding service offering. Members will enjoy an enhanced Member Portal with a more streamlined user experience and expanded functionality will be rolled out throughout 2024.

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About AUSCERT

AUSCERT was founded in 1993 in response to an Australian university student hacking a computer system at NASA. This breach triggered a chain reaction to improve information security. In the early 1990’s three Australian Universities came together and formed AUSCERT – the central source for information security and protection. Today, The University of Queensland has embraced AUSCERT as part of their organisation.

AUSCERT is a not-for-profit, member funded organisation based at The University of Queensland. It provides support to businesses during cyber security incidents, threat intelligence services and ongoing education and development programs.

AUSCERT’s passionate team of leading cyber security experts deliver 24/7 service to more than 500 members spanning education and training, financial and insurance services, information, media and telecommunications and other key sectors alongside a range of comprehensive tools to strengthen cyber security strategic defences.

Media Enquiries

Dr Ivano Bongiovanni is available for media interviews on his appointment and to provide advice and commentary on any topics relating to cyber security.

To talk to Dr Bongiovanni, please contact Media-Wize’s Kathryn Goater on 0414 726 959 or kathryn@media-wize.com