CyberOps to run first Australian space cyber security training and testing centre at Lot Fourteen, Adelaide city
CyberOps founder Daniel Floreani (centre) with, to his right, fellow director Derek Grocke and other team members who won the $2.5 million contract in 2023 to run Australia’s first dedicated space cyber testing and training centre at Lot Fourteen innovation precinct on North Terrace, Adelaide city.
South Australian-based cyber security specialist CyberOps was awarded a $2.5 million contract in 2023 with the federal government defence department to increase the cyber security readiness of Australia’s space sector.
The project aimed to boost the space sector’s capability to protect the nation’s critical space infrastructure and sensitive data from ever-evolving cyber threats. It would involve developing Australia’s first dedicated space cyber testing and training centre.
The centre would be in the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre at Lot Fourteen innovation precinct on North Terrace in Adelaide city. The centre would provide state-of-the-art testing for space hardware and services, and an simulated environment to allow space operators and cyber practitioners to hone their skills.
CyberOps director Daniel Floreani, who founded CyberOps in 2016, said the project would enhance sovereign capability and bolster Australia’s space cyber security defences: “The Adelaide-based facility will provide world-class testing and training to hundreds of people, to lift the cyber security posture of our space industry and enhance Australia’s sovereign capability in this key area of defence.”
Space cyber was essentially cybersecurity for objects in space like satellites and rockets, and for the infrastructure on the ground that enabled launches and monitoring. The Ukraine war as real world example of space cyber warfare.
CyberOps director Derek Grocke said one of the benefits of working in space cyber security was that developments often applied to other Earth-based projects. CyberOps had delivered, designed and led prominent technology and cyber security projects all over the Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas. It designed the cyber range at the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre at Lot Fourteen, along with developing space cyber architecture, the space cyber framework and continually contributed to space domain awareness through SpaceIQ.
As part of its commitment to building sovereign space cyber capability, CyberOps with Agora High-Tech and Flinders University were hosting the first Australian space cyber forum in Adelaide in 2023.