This panel discussion led by Peter Hind – Senior Analyst at ADAPT and including Jason Murrell – renowned cyber security advocate and consultant and Anafrid Bennet – Head of Tech, Security and Property at Greater Western Water, discuss cyber security and Australia’s efforts to enhance its cyber resilience.

The conversation at ADAPT’s Security Edge examines topics such as sovereign capabilities, threat sharing, machine speed in threat detection, and educating individuals about cyber security.

Jason emphasises the need to think about cyber security challenges beyond organisational roles, including the importance of instilling cyber security awareness in children from an early age. The panel acknowledged that the current approach to cyber security education and career pathways needs to be reevaluated, especially considering the rapidly evolving cyber landscape.

Anafrid highlights the importance of fostering a diverse cyber workforce and emphasises the need for collaboration between educational institutions, industry, and government to create effective cyber security education programs and pathways.

The discussion also delves into threat sharing and how it should happen at machine speed, leveraging emerging technologies like blockchain and AI. The panel recognises the necessity of sharing threat intelligence and learnings from cyber incidents across organisations and sectors to enhance collective cyber security.

It is important to conduct realistic and regular cyber security drills and exercises to ensure organisations and executives are well-prepared to handle real cyber threats effectively.

The panel raises concerns about the impact of cyber attacks on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), emphasising the need for a focus on cyber security for these businesses, as they often lack the resources and capabilities of larger organisations.

There is a critical need for a collaborative, adaptive, and inclusive approach to cyber security education, threat sharing, and incident response to enhance Australia’s cyber resilience and effectively mitigate cyber threats.

 

Key Takeaways:

  • Cyber security preparedness and training in schools: Begin cyber security education in schools to instill foundational habits, drawing parallels with other safety teachings like road safety and dental care; emphasise the need for a clear and comprehensive career pathway to address the shortage of cyber security professionals.
  • Diversity and inclusivity in cyber security: Diversity in the cyber security workforce, encompassing gender and neurodiversity, for varied perspectives and innovative approaches; collaboration with educational institutions to develop engaging curricula and enhance the appeal of the cyber security profession for a diverse audience.
  • Threat sharing and machine-speed response: an interoperable ecosystem to share threat intelligence, involving government, industry, and tech startups, leveraging emerging tech like blockchain and AI for enhanced sharing and threat analysis; open sharing of threat data and holding organisations accountable for sharing incident experiences to enhance collective cyber security knowledge and preparedness.
Contributors
Peter Hind Principal Research Analyst at ADAPT
One of the ICT industry’s foremost analysts and commentators, Peter Hind has spent over 25 years advising and talking on topics across... More

One of the ICT industry’s foremost analysts and commentators, Peter Hind has spent over 25 years advising and talking on topics across the technology industry. His primary areas of interest are the potential of technology to transform the way organisations operate, the change management obstacles executives encounter in realising this potential, as well as the tactics and techniques leaders have deployed to overcome these difficulties.​

With roles across IDC, Unisys, NCR, Sigma Data, and others, Peter now takes on multiple roles within ADAPT including the moderation of private events and roundtables, interviewing business executives about the strategies they are pursuing and assisting with the structuring of delegate surveys.​

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Jason Murrell Renowned Cyber Security Advocate and Consultant
With over 20 years of experience in start-ups and the broader technology industry, I am a renowned advocate for cyber security in... More

With over 20 years of experience in start-ups and the broader technology industry, I am a renowned advocate for cyber security in Australia. My journey has been marked by fostering collaboration and propelling the growth of Australia’s cyber security industry.

Key Achievements:

  • Developed strategic initiatives and partnerships that fuel innovation in collaboration with start-ups, industry leaders, government agencies and academia.
  • Recognised thought leader, sharing insights on entrepreneurship, cyber security and public-private sector collaboration.
  • Featured in reputable media outlets, amplifying the significance of cyber security in today’s digital landscape.

I am committed to driving innovation and resilience in the field, leveraging my expertise to align strategies with industry needs and address evolving cyber threats. My role at AustCyber involved close collaboration with various stakeholders to develop strategic initiatives and forge partnerships that fuel innovation.

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Anafrid Bennet Head of Tech, Security and Property at Greater Western Water, also 'Next CIO' category winner in CIO50 & 4th in CSO#30
Anafrid is a SABSA Certified Chartered Security Architect, ISACA Certified Information Systems Auditor, and ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, having 10 plus years... More

Anafrid is a SABSA Certified Chartered Security Architect, ISACA Certified Information Systems Auditor, and ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, having 10 plus years of experience in developing, overseeing, managing, and implementing strategic security programs across organisations. She is an award winning security ambassador shifting the security culture within organisations and a strong believer of teamwork, collaboration, and valuing people.

“The cornerstone of business resilience is building a cultural foundation that encourages people to work together. I work to strengthen ‘the human element’- because people are our greatest assets.”As a People, Cyber, and Technology leader, Anafrid leads and influences fit-for-purpose business outcomes through solid business partnerships. Linking cyber to organisational safety and wellbeing principles to ensure it becomes part of daily conversations, she leads incident response and recovery activities with minimal disruption to the business, customers, and community – having a people-first approach.

Bennet is clearly a rising star. As well as creating and leading GWW’s cyber security strategy, she has been named a highly commended ‘One to Watch in IT Security’ by the Australian Women in Security Awards, ranked 4th in the 2022 CSO#30 and impressively the Next CIO to watch award in the 2023 CIO#50. The judges there saying “Anafrid Bennet is already displaying the leadership, technology, business, innovation and people skills to take her far in our industry. Like any great leader, she inspires others to excel, and leads by example. If Anafrid is indicative of the next generation of CIOs and technology leaders, then our industry is in very safe hands.” 

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Leadership Modernisation Skills