In a recent post, Paul Wilson wrote about the importance of Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and APNIC’s support for the new Tonga CERT. Over the past several months the APNIC Foundation has been working to attract funding for support of more CERTs in the Pacific.
I’m pleased to report that the Australian Government has generously provided an initial AUD 100,000 grant to the APNIC Foundation to continue the development of national CERTs in the Pacific. This will extend APNIC’s work in promoting Internet security in the region.
It’s exciting news for the Internet in the Pacific. CERTs are recognised as a critical component of Internet security. Without a CERT to serve it, any community will be more vulnerable to security risks and have a much harder time mitigating those risks.
The early success of Tonga CERT, the first national CERT in the Pacific, is a great example of a “multistakeholder” approach to establish a trusted, neutral CERT that can benefit the whole community.
With this funding, APNIC will build on the experience of the CERT.to creation process by bringing together interested ISPs, network operators, governmental staff and policymakers, and community organisations including schools and churches in Pacific economies to plan out the path for CERTs to serve local communities, backed by technical training and advice. That work starts now.
Importantly, APNIC will be coordinating closely with a range of other organizations also working to support Pacific Island economies in their efforts to develop their security capacity.
As Paul said in his post, ultimately through this work a more comprehensive, trust-based network of Internet security experts and contact points can be developed in the Pacific.
The grant also marks a positive start for the APNIC Foundation which became fully operational this year. It’s encouraging to see the APNIC Foundation model develop as envisioned by the APNIC EC.
I’ll continue to provide regular updates on the activities of the APNIC Foundation, however, if you have questions or suggestions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
The views expressed by the authors of this blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of APNIC. Please note a Code of Conduct applies to this blog.