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Universally adding core cyber skills across industry sectors to bolster Australia's defences and prosperity is on the wishlist for an upcoming national skills summit.
Global software company Elastic, which serves half the Fortune 500, says Andy Penn's call for greater government investment in education is the bottom line for strengthening Australia's cyber protections.
The outgoing Telstra CEO and top federal government industry cyber advisor recently warned a National Press Club audience that the online lives of Australians are increasingly vulnerable and their skills lacking.
Elastic's regional vice-president Anna Mascarello said the technology sector can do more at the grassroots level to feed the talent pool too.
"We're in conversation with Australian universities to understand how we can help support the curriculum and nurture the next generation of critical thinkers," she said..
The Productivity Commission says industry certifications and short courses could help build knowledge at a time when a skills shortage is holding Australia back on adopting digital technologies and cyber safeguards.
From energy grids to banking systems, strengthening the security posture of Australia's digital economy will also require organisations to invest in protecting data and systems and better educate workers.
Cyber criminals often demand ransoms or steal funds from their targets.
Malicious emails and dodgy text messages are their preferred way of infecting devices and locking or stealing data, including private information to fake credentials and raid bank accounts.
Ms Mascarello says government and industry working together to develop "sovereign and best-of-breed technical capability" will be critical for Australia's wealth and security.
Software company Ivanti agrees Mr Penn's warning highlights the urgent need to develop stronger government-industry partnerships.
More people working from home post-pandemic has expanded the attack surface, posing new security challenges, executive Matthew Lowe said.
Organisations are lagging on investing in technology that can identify and combat vulnerabilities in real time, he said.
Yet artificial intelligence-based applications could help reduce cyber risk in advance, with less manual effort.
Ms Mascarello said leaders should also look to a more inclusive talent pool to fill vacancies.
"It's not enough to just fill roles," she said.
"The current lack of diversity in many security teams poses risks because company systems aren't homogeneous and neither are potential assailants."
The two-day Jobs and Skills Summit begins on Thursday.
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A big week for economic data kicks off with retail sales and building approvals figures.
NAB economist Taylor Nugent expects building approvals, and home loan approval figures due later in the week, to fall in line with slowing housing demand amid rising interest rates.
Consumer confidence will also be released. In the last two surveys, sentiment has been relatively upbeat despite rising interest rates and soaring inflation.
Wednesday will see ABS data detailing the value of construction work.
Mr Nugent anticipates a 0.5 per cent quarterly drop due to bad weather disrupting work as well as ongoing capacity constraints.
The Reserve Bank will also issue a report into outstanding loans mid-week.
Later in the week, both CoreLogic and competitor PropTrack will release their home price reports.
The ABS will also drop actual and projected investment spending data sets, as well as lending data.
CommSec economist Craig James said July lending data, which includes home, personal, business and lease loans, would provide some clues about the impact of recent rate hikes.
The jobs and skills summit will start in Canberra on Thursday, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Grattan Institute head Danielle Wood and renowned economist Ross Garnaut the keynote speakers.
The head of the US Federal Reserve on Friday dashed hopes on Wall Street that it may soon ease up on high interest rates in its effort to tame inflation.
The S&P 500 fell 141.46 points to 4,057.66. The benchmark index is now down almost 15 per cent for the year.
The Dow lost 1,008.38 points to close at 32,283.40. The last time the blue-chip average had a 1,000-point drop was in May.
The Nasdaq slid 497.56 points to 12,141.71, its biggest drop since June.
The local share market meanwhile finished higher for a third straight day.
The ASX/S&P200 index finished up 56 points, or 0.79 per cent, to 7104.1, while the broader All Ordinaries gained 53.9 points, or 0.74 per cent, to 7345.8.
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New modelling suggests rapid antigen tests can hasten isolation for some confirmed COVID-19 cases as one of Australia's leading infectious disease experts calls for an end to seven-day minimums.
Former chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth says current isolation rules do more harm than good as Australians are increasingly taken out of the workforce.
"Even if there's a small amount of infectivity risk at day six or seven, if you are in a mask and are wearing it like doctors and nurses do, which is properly in a hospital setting, your risk of transmission is really low," Dr Coatsworth said.
Treasury data shows three million working days were lost in the first six months of this year due to virus illness and an estimated 31,000 workers around the nation were on sick leave each day in June.
Dr Coatsworth says under the circumstances, seven days of isolation is excessive and needs to be scrapped.
New Zealand research meanwhile shows using RATS as part of a "test-to-release" policy would shorten the minimum isolation period for confirmed cases.
"Rapid antigen tests are the best tool we have to tell if people are still infectious, so it is possible to tailor an isolation period to when people are infectious," according to Auckland University's Emily Harvey.
"Some people could leave isolation sooner than seven days, some people will need to isolate for longer."
A two-test-to-release policy would involve a minimum isolation period of five days and a maximum of 10.
Australia recorded a further 86 COVID-19 deaths on Saturday along with more than 11,000 new virus cases. Some 62 fatalities and 13,500 infections were announced on Friday.
The country still has over 127,000 active coronavirus cases, with more than 3000 patients in hospital care nationwide.
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Jess Fox, Australia's all-time great paddler, has been left exhausted after notching up another sporting landmark, winning a remarkable fourth consecutive World Cup kayak slalom race in Pau.
The Olympic C1 champ was in a class of her own on Saturday at one of her favourite French venues, adding yet another global title to the three she won across Europe in June in Prague, Krakow and Tacen.
After her 39th individual World Cup race win, the Penrith star looks sure to be crowned overall World Cup K1 champion again for the fourth consecutive time after the finals in La Seu, Spain next weekend.
"It's so special to take another win today and my fourth gold of the series. I couldn't have hoped to have a better end to the kayak," said the 28-year-old, who will be trying to add titles in the canoe and extreme events on Sunday.
Fox dominated Saturday morning's race, despite a run that featured a couple of penalty points when she had a touch on gate five.
Yet she was so much faster than her opponents over the rapids, 1.80 seconds quicker than the next swiftest, that she wouldn't be denied.
Jessica said, "I was definitely nervous for this final. I knew I had no room for error after I'd made the mistake and I tried to just push to the finish."
"It's such a physical course that I was absolutely exhausted at the finish line.
"I really like paddling in Pau. I've been coming here for many years. It feels a bit like home," she said.
Fox was back to the top of the podium after winning two silvers in the C1 and K1 at the world championships in Augsburg last month, when she also took the extreme title for which she'll be favourite when the event makes its debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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