Brendan Dowling is the First Assistant Secretary for the Department of Home Affair's Digital and Technology Policy Division.

The division leads policy development and international engagement on critical technology security, including on telecommunications and emerging technologies, as well as national data security and strategy. His team is responsible for national identity policy and biometrics design and capability. He also leads Home Affairs’ engagement with digital platforms on public safety and national security.

Brendan was previously the senior representative for the Department of Home Affairs in the Washington DC, leading engagement in the United States and across the Americas region on national security, cyber security, federal law enforcement policy, criminal justice, emergency management, and immigration and border functions.

Prior to his posting in the US, Brendan was the Assistant Secretary for the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa in the Department of Home Affairs’ International Division. In that role, he led the department’s engagement with partner governments across those regions, as well as with the United Nations and other multilateral institutions.

Previously, Brendan was posted to Amman, Jordan, managing the Department’s largest humanitarian mission and relations with governments across the Levant. He has also served as a Director of policy for skilled migration, leading major reform to Australia’s economic migration programs.

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.