Australia and Lithuania have joined forces to fight against cybercrime, forming a pan-continental research program that will see leading universities share expertise.

The Australian-Lithuanian Cyber Research Network is a joint initiative between RMIT and Mykolas Romeris universities that aims to provide a platform from which to tackle cybersecurity issues threatening Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. It is thought to be the first of its kind.

Speaking at the launch in Melbourne on Safer Internet Day in Australia, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Foreign Minister for Lithuania, said the project would help to “strengthen old friendships and build new ones.”

He added: “political dialogue, enhanced economic cooperation, and regional security will be the main topics of conversation.”

The research network’s first major project will tackle hybrid threats from state and non-state threat actors, exploring the impact on national infrastructure. It will explore its findings during a series of seminars hosted jointly by the two universities before presenting them.

“The network provides a platform for the two countries to undertake jointly important cybersecurity research,” said Professor Matt Warren, head of RMIT’s cybersecurity center and co-founder of the network.

Emphasizing the importance of the project, he added: “state and non-state actors are challenging countries and institutions they see as opposed to their interests and goals, with a focus on disrupting industry and society.”

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