AICS mission
AICS exists to lift the standard of cyber security practice in Australia through accredited courses, chartered membership designations and a forensic-grounded code of ethical conduct.
AICS Mission
The Australian Institute of Cyber Security exists to advance the cyber security profession in Australia, uphold its standards, and support the practitioners who protect the nation’s digital infrastructure. Our mission is to ensure that cyber security is recognised, resourced, and respected as a profession of national importance.
What We Stand For
AICS was founded on the conviction that cyber security in Australia needs a dedicated, independent professional body that genuinely represents the breadth and depth of the field. We are not a vendor, a training provider operating under a professional body brand, or an adjunct to a broader IT association. We exist solely for the benefit of cyber security professionals and the organisations and communities they protect.
We believe that the quality of Australia’s cyber security depends on the quality of its practitioners. That means rigorous accreditation, verified credentials, continuing professional development, and an ethical framework that holds practitioners accountable to the people and systems they are entrusted to protect.
Our Strategic Priorities
Professional standards and accreditation. AICS maintains a structured accreditation pathway from Foundations Certified (AICSF) through to Fellow (FAICS), ensuring that credentials awarded to practitioners reflect genuine competence verified against a national standard. We do not award credentials on the basis of self-assessment or attendance alone.
Advocacy and policy engagement. AICS represents the profession’s interests in engagements with government, regulators, and industry bodies. We contribute to national cyber security policy development, respond to legislative consultations, and advocate for the conditions that allow practitioners to do their work effectively.
Education and professional development. Through our course offerings and the Cyber Security Professional Development (CSPD) programme, AICS provides practitioners with the structured learning pathways and continuing education opportunities they need to remain current in a field that evolves continuously.
Community and support. AICS provides a professional home for cyber security practitioners at every career stage. Our membership network, events programme, Career Hub, and Ethics and Welfare Support service are designed to ensure that practitioners have access to the community, guidance, and support they need throughout their careers.
Independence and Integrity
AICS operates with independence from government, vendors, and commercial interests. Our governance structure, led by a non-executive advisory board with expertise across cyber security, law, risk, and public policy, ensures that the Institute’s decisions are made in the interest of the profession and the public it serves. We are funded by membership fees and course enrolments, not by vendor sponsorship or advertising revenue that could compromise our independence.
Our Commitment
Every decision AICS makes is guided by a single question: does this serve the profession and the people it protects? That commitment underpins everything we do, from the standards we set for accreditation to the positions we take in public policy, to the support we provide to individual practitioners navigating the challenges of a demanding and consequential career.