IAA Newsletters
Hot on the heels of Sydney, we’re set to double our efforts in 2025 announcing IAASysters Workshops in New Zealand and Melbourne! Whether you want to apply for yourself, nominate someone, or explore sponsorship opportunities, this is your chance to get involved!
About IAASysters
Now in its fifth year, the IAASysters program offers a one-day workshop focused on career development, followed by attendance at a major technical conference. This combination equips successful participants with essential skills, hands-on training, and invaluable networking opportunities within the industry.
IAASysters Melbourne Workshop
The IAASysters Workshop in Melbourne will take place on Tuesday, 2 September 2025, prior to the AusNOG Conference which our IAASysters will attend on Wednesday, 3 and Thursday, 4 September 2025.
IAASysters NZ Napier Workshop – backed by NZNOG!
In addition, we are thrilled to expand our program across the ditch this year. We will be hosting an IAASysters NZ Workshop on Wednesday, 9 April 2025, in Napier, NZ, with support from the NZNOG conference, which our IAASysters will also attend on Thursday, 10 and Friday, 11 April 2025. This is open to both Australians and New Zealanders!
What’s included for successful applicants
- A ticket to attend the IAASysters Workshop
- A ticket to the AusNOG or NZNOG conference
- Economy airfare and accommodation (if required)
- A one-year complimentary IAA Professional Membership (for Australian delegates only)
Eligibility criteria for applicants:
- Must be employed or working towards a career in the internet industry
- Have a passion for the internet and the internet industry
- Be a resident of Australia or New Zealand (Melbourne is only open to residents of Australia)
As part of the application, we ask for an overview of the applicant’s current role, a summary of career aspirations and/or relevant training. Applications must include a statement of endorsement from either a direct supervisor or mentor; in the case of nominations, the nominator’s endorsement statement will be accepted.
*Applications are open for women working in ALL types of roles within the internet industry (network operations, engineering, IT, marketing, regulation, customer support or those studying towards a relevant degree or diploma).
Apply or nominate a Syster today via the IAA website:
Applications close
- Melbourne: Friday, 25 April 2025, at 5:00pm AEST
- Napier: Friday, 7 February 2025, at 5:00pm NZDT
Think your organisation might care to Sponsor?
For organisations looking to empower more women in the tech space, we offer sponsorship opportunities that will highlight your brand’s commitment to diversity.
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We rounded off this year’s IAA Convergent event series strongly with in-person events in Adelaide and Canberra and an exciting online hypothetical crisis scenario, ‘It’s DOWN!!!’
IAA Convergent Adelaide
NEXTDC graciously gave us a sneak preview with a tour of our newest PoP location and we can tell you, it’s A1! The evening continued at The Elephant for drinks and nibbles. Big thanks to NEXTDC for the tour and all the Members who joined us for a memorable night!
IAA Convergent Canberra
IAA Convergent Online
If you missed our IAA Convergent online event, ‘It’s DOWN!!’ here’s your second chance!
Watch as our expert team tackles a live, spontaneous role-play simulating a network outage. Guided by facilitator Narelle Clark, our seasoned expert panel: Elise Davidson, Matthew Kobayashi, Anne Mikita, Holly Raiche, and Aftab Siddiqui—navigated through technical and organisational challenges, showcasing the tools and strategies used during a crisis, and even the human impact involved.
Whether you’re a seasoned network engineer or just curious, this session is packed with insights that can help in real-world situations.
Watch now on IAA’s YouTube channel.
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IAA recently participated in the CommsDay Wholesale Congress in Melbourne, where our CEO, Narelle Clark, took the stage alongside industry leaders from Telstra, NBN, Vocus, and more.
Narelle’s talk, “Internet Exchange Points – Their Place in the Contemporary Landscape,” explored and explained the evolving role of IXPs in today’s telecommunications ecosystem. Not wishing to waste an opportunity, Narelle also highlighted the existence of disinformation about consumer regulation, and this was highly applauded by industry participants.
The two-day event was packed with networking opportunities, insightful sessions, and discussions on the latest trends shaping the future of telecom. Thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to the success of the Congress!
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We’re proud to announce our newest Point of Presence in NEXTDC’s A1 Adelaide data centre!
IAA is committed to meeting the growing needs of our Members and going where you want to see us. With that in mind, we’re thrilled to share news of our presence in the brand-new NEXTDC A1 Adelaide facility. We’re also pleased to be offering 100Gbps ports for the first time on SA-IX.
As the State’s first Tier IV-certified colocation facility, A1 offers unmatched fault tolerance, energy efficiency, and security. We secured the first of their 1,470-rack capacity and with 5MW of IT power capacity, A1 will provide the quality connectivity and resilient infrastructure that our Members rely on.
So, of course we’re here! Our Members wouldn’t have it any other way.
Order your ports via the IAA Member Portal now:
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In September we headed to BSides Canberra 2024, hosted at the National Convention Centre. Once again it was a packed event that brought together cybersecurity enthusiasts from across Australia and beyond. Known for its diverse range of activities, the conference offered everything from advanced talks to hands-on labs, interactive villages, and of course, the ever-popular Capture the Flag (CTF) competition.
Regardless of where you are in your cyber career, BSides has something for everyone. The Main Track stage opened with keynote speaker Valentina Palmiotti speaking on “The Exploit Development Life Cycle: From Concept to Compromise,” diving deep into the nuances of exploit creation and the steps from concept through execution. Then later, there was a practical session titled “How to Land Your First Job in Cybersecurity,” led by Jatin Kumar, covering actionable steps for new cybersecurity professionals.
The ever-popular Hardware Hacking Village provided a hands-on area where attendees could assemble custom badges. However, the highlight for many was the BlackBag Challenge, an immersive blend of hacking, espionage, and physical security. This ‘blind’ challenge led our Tech Team through a series of increasingly difficult tasks scattered around the conference centre, culminating in an attempt to breach a secured “server room.” Under the hacker name IAAsengard, the team came close to entering the server room, but there was a huge queue, so they chose to focus on the CyBears Capture the Flag (CTF) competition instead.
This time’s CTF was a fantasy-themed cybersecurity quest, testing skills in cryptography, reverse engineering, and web security. The event buzzed with quiet intensity as teams worked through the puzzles, whispering to avoid tipping off competitors, with the occasional chase after a roaming “spy” who held clues to one of the challenges. This year our Tech Team finished in an impressive 26th place out of 198 teams.
All-in-all, BSides Canberra 2024 successfully combined the thrill of technical challenges with opportunities for skill-building and networking, leaving attendees eager for next year’s event. For IAAsengard, it was an experience full of learning, testing skills, and sharing their expertise within the global cybersecurity community.
