Brendan Dowling

Brendan was appointed as Australia's Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology in May 2023. As Ambassador, he leads Australia's international engagement on cyber affairs and critical technology issues, while delivering cyber capacity building, crisis response and building resilience across our region.

Brendan has had a distinguished career in cyber affairs, most recently leading the Cyber and Critical Technology Coordination Centre at the Department of Home Affairs. He also served as the First Assistant Secretary for Digital and Technology Security Policy in Home Affairs. In those roles he provided national leadership and international engagement on cyber security strategy and coordination, the security of critical and emerging technologies and safety and security online.

Brendan held a senior role at Australia's Embassy in the United States, leading engagement in the United States and across the Americas region on national security, cyber security, critical technology, criminal justice, emergency management, and immigration and border functions.

Prior to the US, Brendan was the Assistant Secretary for the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa in Home Affairs' International Division. In that role, he led the department's engagement with governments across those regions, as well as with the United Nations and other multilateral institutions. Brendan was also posted to Amman, Jordan, leading the Department's largest refugee mission and relations with governments across the region.

Brendan holds a Master of Public Policy (Economic Policy) from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in political science and literature from the University of Melbourne.