The new team is set to commence operations in January and will work with the Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) set up as part of the Defence White Paper earlier in the year.

This initiative is one of the recommendations coming out of the E-Security Review 2008 which led to the Government pledging $100 million in funding over four years to strengthen Australia's national security framework. In May, when the CERT Australia team was announced, the Federal Government said it would spend $8.8 million on its creation.

In a statement, Attorney-General Robert McClelland said the Cyber Security Strategy would formalise the "roles, responsibilities and policies of Australian intelligence, cyber and policing agencies to protect Australian internet users".

"CERT Australia will work with other national CERTs around the world, the IT industry and Australian internet service providers to help network operators to identify and respond to cyber security incidents," McClelland said.

The new CERT Australia will work with the existing AusCERT, which is run as an independent, not-for-profit organisation at The University of Queensland and has provided security services such as those under the Federal Government's Stay Smart Online program.