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Information security consultants named ACT Business of the Year

6 Jul 2010 Download Press Release

6 July 2010: A Deakin business that provides information security consulting and testing services for government and commercial clients has won top honours in the 2010 Telstra ACT Business Awards.

stratsec has grown from a three-person start-up in 2004 to a market-leading business with 40 employees and offices throughout Australia and in Singapore.

The business was announced as the Telstra ACT Business of the Year tonight at the 18th Telstra ACT Business Awards after earlier winning the Panasonic Australia Medium Business Award.

Telstra Business Group Managing Director and Ambassador of the Telstra Business Awards, Ms Deena Shiff, said that all ACT winners of the five Awards categories were chosen from hotly-contested fields and all had sound business strategies to continue their current growth.

“stratsec should feel a great sense of pride because the calibre of the 13 finalists in this year’s Awards was very impressive, reflecting the strength of Australia’s small and medium business sector,” Ms Shiff said.

Established by Doug Stuart, Peter Lilley and Nick Ellsmore, stratsec aimed to remove some of the mystery about ICT security and focus on the business needs of clients rather than a technology-based approach. It offers a broad range of security consulting and assurance services such as business continuity and disaster recovery, digital forensics and threat and risk assessments.

The business expanded progressively after winning a Department of Defence contract, a licence as an Australasian Information Security Evaluation Facility, a Malaysian Government contract and key international clients such as Microsoft and IBM.

Ms Shiff said that stratsec were highly-respected advisers and clear industry leaders that have established a successful overseas market.

“Judges described stratsec as a world class, independent information, security consulting, testing and research business with enormous potential for further growth,” she said.

stratsec’s Chief Operating Officer Doug Stuart, said the company has undertaken massive change and increased its professionalism since it won the 2007 MYOB Business Award and the 2008 Panasonic Australia Medium Business Award in the Telstra ACT Business Awards.

Mr Stuart said the business removes jargon that is prevalent in ICT security and provides user-friendly advice that helps business managers make security-based decisions.

Panasonic Australia Managing Director Steve Rust said stratsec was a very worthy winner of the Panasonic Australia Medium Business Award and must be commended for their efforts and creativity behind their business achievements.

“Panasonic applauds the innovative spirit, customer focus and openness to new business opportunities that stratsec has demonstrated. At Panasonic we believe that an intense focus on customers is vital for success in today’s business environment,” Mr Rust said.

The full list of Telstra ACT Business Awards winners announced tonight is:

  • businessowner Micro-Business Award – Makin Trax Australia, a Curtin business established in 2005 by Darren Stewart that designs, constructs, maintains and remediates mountain bike, walking and multi-use track networks – completed projects included the Stromlo Forest Park Track and the refurbishment of the Casuarina Walking Trail on Mount Majura.
  • MYOB Small Business Award – Today’s Homes & Lifestyle Pty Ltd, a contract home building business of Fyshwick set up in 2001 by father and son team Peter and Brendan McCoullough that services a market for designs priced between $300,000 and $750,000 – winning Housing Industry Association Awards for its custom built, small lot and green smart designs.
  • Panasonic Australia Medium Business Award – stratsec, a business established by Doug Stuart, Peter Lilley and Nick Ellsmore in 2004 that provides information security consulting and testing services for government and commercial clients.
  • AMP Innovation Award – Viridis E3, of Phillip, an environmentally sustainable development consultancy founded in 2007 and led by directors Warren Overton, Jonathon Dalton and Gesa Ruge that offers leading edge technology in environmental design and engineering.
  • Sensis Social Responsibility Award – Richard Luton Properties, a real estate agency established in 1999 which employs 73 people in six ACT offices – the entire staff team volunteers to support a diverse range of community activities including organising a fund-raising ball for the past seven years and conducting charity auctions.
  • 2010 Telstra ACT Business of the Year – stratsec.

In presenting the Telstra ACT Business of the Year Award, Ms Shiff said Telstra was proud to be a key partner of small and medium businesses by providing voice and data communications services and solutions that contribute to their success.

“Through our long commitment to the Telstra Business Awards, we wish to encourage a celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit and business achievements of Australia’s finest small and medium enterprises,” she said.

The winners of the ACT Awards now will be judged against the category winners from other states and territories in the lead up to the national Telstra Business Awards to be announced in Sydney on August 20.

Winners of the 2010 Telstra Business Awards receive a share of $400,000 in cash and prizes and become part of an exclusive national business alumni.

Media contact:
 Natasha Ciesielski, Lighthouse Communications
Ph: 02 9262 3868; M: 0428 480 710

Telstra:
Kathryn McFarlane
0419 850 201

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