CyberPath – Help pave the way forward for Cyber Professionals - What’s next…
CyberPath update: This article outlines what the pilot is aiming to achieve, who’s involved, how industry consultation will work, and what to expect next as the professionalisation framework for Australia’s cyber workforce takes shape.
CyberPath: Paving the Way Forward for Cyber Professionals is an industry-wide collaborative pilot project aimed at shaping the professionalisation of the cyber security workforce in Australia. This is a core strategic commitment from Government referenced under Shield 5 of the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy.
Our aim is a fit-for-purpose solution that is scalable and flexible across different use cases, and actually raises the bar for Australia’s cyber security posture. This is a landmark initiative for Australia and we don’t know what the solution is going to look like which is why it’s important to hear everyone’s voice. We’re working with industry at each stage of the pilot program to support careful consultation and will utilise existing frameworks, research and lessons learned from professionalisation in other jurisdictions and industries to inform our program shape and recommendations. We will also be reviewing international precedent to understand lessons learned, harmonise approaches, and aim for a common language around cyber workforce.
The Goals of the Program
Establish an industry-led cyber security professionalisation pilot scheme framework
Defining clear career, skills and education pathways for cyber security professionals under the framework, providing quality assurance for employers on a professional’s skills and cyber security experience
Improving attractiveness of the cyber security industry for career entrants and career transitioners by providing guidance on opportunities, dispelling stereotypes, and addressing barriers of entry
Increasing attraction of the sector for diverse talent, and fostering inclusive cultures that sees diverse talent supported throughout their workforce lifecycle
Enhancing resilience of domestic cyber capabilities through clear competency guidelines and a commitment to continuous professional development
Increasing industry, business, and public confidence in Australia’s cyber security workforce.
The intended outcomes of the program are:
A pilot Cyber Security Professionalisation Scheme framework and standards developed in collaboration with industry
A pilot Cyber Security Professionalisation Scheme that provides clear career, skills and education pathways for workers in, and those seeking to enter, the cyber security workforce
Guidance for employers and employees regarding skills expectations for accredited professionals
An evaluation of the professionalisation scheme
- A plan to scale the scheme after the pilot that includes:
- A strategy to increase industry uptake and participation in the scheme
- A repeatable methodology to expand occupations, roles, and pathways so the framework can evolve with a changing technology, regulatory, and threat landscape
- Design of an independent funding mechanism to sustain the program following the pilot, that doesn’t introduce barriers of entry into the cyber security industry.
Once the pilot concludes, the outcomes will be evaluated and a plan developed to scale the scheme nationally, including proposals for ongoing funding and broader expansion and adoption.
Who’s Involved
The project is led by a consortium of key industry and professional organisations to ensure broad consultation and representation from industry:
Benefits
For the workforce:
Clearer professional development paths
Formal recognition of skills, knowledge, and abilities
Better access to guidance on learning opportunities
For employers:
Confidence in the skills competency of cyber professionals
Clearer guidance for workforce planning and development functions
For Australia overall:
Assurance of critical cyber capabilities to protect all Australians
Enhanced public trust in digital systems
Better positioning as a secure place to do business globally
Diversity & Inclusion
The project emphasises inclusivity and a cyber workforce that reflects the communities we are protecting. It will achieve this through using co-design principles to remove unnecessary barriers, acknowledge alternative career pathways, promote opportunities for career transitioners and encourage diverse talent to self-select into cyber security.
How It Works
It’s a 24-month pilot program involving broad industry consultation with professionals, employers, educators, and learners.
Participants can get involved via surveys, working groups, workshops, and feedback channels.
The aim is to co-design the scheme with rigorous input from across the cyber, tech, educational and business communities. We want to hear from individuals and organisations across all sectors, at all sizes, and at all stages of maturity.
What’s Next and How to Get Involved?
- Complete your expression of interest to be involved. You can also add your preliminary feedback.
- A wider independent industry survey is in development. This will be distributed in March to capture your valuable in-depth input to shape the program direction and design.
- In March, led by AISA, together with ACS, AWSN and Aus3C, we’ll be delivering our first round of face-to-face and online Town Hall sessions across the country to seek your input. These events will be held from 5.30pm – 7pm, with networking from 7pm – 8pm.
Save the date for:
4/03/2026 – Hobart
10/03/2026 – Online
11/03/2026 – Canberra
16/03/2026 – Adelaide
18/03/2026 – Perth
20/03/2026 – Darwin
24/03/2026 – Sydney
25/03/2026 – Brisbane
26/03/2026 – Online
31/03/2026 – Melbourne