Australia will be bolstering its defence in the digital world by offering paid traineeships for students wanting to fast track their careers as cyber security specialists. Growing rates of criminal and state-linked cyber actors have seen the nation prioritise its defensive and offensive capabilities. In particular, Australia has passed new legislation that could see the government install software on the systems of private businesses in response to cyber-attacks—while threatening any cyber actors with swift retaliation. The taxpayer-funded program will provide a new National Certificate III in Information Technology (cyber security) qualification to help fill 7000 jobs by 2024 in an industry expected to generate $7.6 billion for the economy—all without the need to receive a university degree. Coding education specialist Junior Engineers and job provider Asuria have partnered to run the program, which will involve placing participants with nationally recognised qualifications together with host employers. “Thanks to the government’s range …