Chris Crozier (Defence Digital Group)
The Department of Defence has repurposed its Chief Information Officer Group as the Defence Digital Group to shore up the nation’s cyber security strategy.
According to a statement from the Department, the new group has changed to take a “strategy-led approach to shaping, delivering and sustaining Defence’s ICT landscape in a faster, more agile way”.
As ICT underpins Defence’s preparedness, particularly during rapid technological change, the Department continued, there is a need to focus on enhancing its warfighting capability and resilience. This is particularly noteworthy, it added, when considering the face of accelerated military modernisation in the region and a reduction in warning times.
Chief Information Officer Chris Crozier said the launch of the new group is in line with the Defence Strategic Review, which was announced in April 2023 and outlined that more effective support for innovation, faster acquisition and better links between Defence and industry were required to deliver the capabilities the Australian Defence Force needs.
“The Defence Strategic Review is a call for immediate action in light of our changing strategic circumstances,” he said.
“A genuine partnership between the government, industry and unions will be critical to growing Australia’s defence industry and speeding up the acquisition of vital defence capabilities.
“We will be working closely with our partners from across the Defence ecosystem to ensure our ICT strategy and approach is well understood, and that we are attracting the best skills and capabilities from across the nation to support the Defence mission.”
