"Future-Proofing Cybersecurity in the Indo-Pacific Region"

The Post-Quantum Cryptography in the Indo-Pacific Program (PQCIP) is a new project led by Monash University researchers in collaboration with the Oceania Cyber Security Centre (OCSC) that aims to train organizations across the Indo-Pacific region in order to help them protect themselves against emerging cybersecurity threats. The researchers are looking for participants from 11 Indo-Pacific countries focused on cybersecurity and Information Technology (IT) to receive free training in advanced cryptography to help protect against threats from quantum computers. The PQCIP is seeking collaboration with organizations and government bodies in Malaysia, Indonesia, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, and Nauru. Associate Professor Ron Steinfeld of Monash University's Faculty of IT stated that encryption is one of the most important safeguards against data breaches. However, most currently deployed cryptography is not resistant to attacks from large-scale quantum computers, which can rapidly decrypt most of today's encrypted data, and such computers are expected to become a reality in the coming years, according to Associate Professor Steinfeld. There has been a significant increase in cyberattacks and data leaks recently. Therefore, it is critical now to help neighboring countries boost their capabilities to counter current cyber threats while also preparing for the next generation of attacks. Cybersecurity experts from Monash and OCSC will lead participants in the PQCIP through a detailed assessment of their current post-quantum cybersecurity capabilities, tailored education, planning, and cyber threat evaluation. Dr. James Boorman, OCSC Head of Research and Capacity Building, stated that the program aims to provide participants with an advanced understanding of post-quantum cryptography, comprehensive knowledge of related tools, and the ability to create their transition plan to protect their organizations from quantum computing threats. This article continues to discuss the goals of the PQCIP project. 

Monash University reports "Future-Proofing Cybersecurity in the Indo-Pacific Region"