Kylie Watson, Head of Cyber Security at DXC Technology, shares how her Defence background shapes her cyber leadership and why prioritisation and smarter vendor outreach are critical for security leaders.

Years in the Australian Army taught Kylie how to operate under pressure, navigate complex infrastructure, and lead teams in challenging environments.

In this interview with ADAPT’s Head of Programs & Value Engagement Byron Connolly, she explains how those experiences shaped her leadership style and approach to securing enterprises across Australia, New Zealand, ASEAN, Japan, India, the Middle East and Africa.

Her Defence work in infrastructure, networks, and operating under threat translated unexpectedly well to cyber security.

“I really liked being on that side of the fence; I actually understood it and got across it.” she says of her first IT project at the Department of Defence.

Over the past decade, she has held senior transformation, analytics, cyber and cloud roles at SAP, Deloitte, IBM and PwC before joining DXC in 2024.

 

Prioritising protections

Kylie emphasises that organisations need to determine where cyber rigour will have the greatest impact.

She cites the recent credential stuffing attack on superannuation providers as a case where multi-factor authentication could have been implemented, but acknowledges that no CISO can secure every asset to the highest standard.

She notes that, in practice, some lower-profile or legacy systems still require protection, and that defences often target the wrong threat.

In some cases, organisations have prepared for attacks from nation state actors, only to be compromised instead by social engineering from competitors.

 

Vendors missing the mark

ADAPT’s recent survey of 118 CISOs found only 15% considered vendor outreach useful.

Kylie shares that view.

“I hate it, I absolutely hate it,” she says, adding that she receives around five pitches a day and ignores most to focus on her role.

She encourages vendors to build credibility through structured programs and local networking, citing a government-funded cyber hub that connected eight small suppliers with 100 CISOs in one event.

“Find the more formal programs, don’t keep doing the individual outreach. Go get your marketing right.”

Read our full interview breakdown for more insights into her approach to threat prioritisation, legacy security challenges, and vendor engagement.

Contributors
Kylie Watson CISO at DXC Technology
Kylie Watson is an experienced executive in the Information Technology Infrastructure, Apps, and Services Industry. Driven by a strong client focus, she... More

Kylie Watson is an experienced executive in the Information Technology Infrastructure, Apps, and Services Industry. Driven by a strong client focus, she supports large-scale business and technical transformation, leveraging her expertise in change management and behavioural economics. Kylie excels in leading large sales and delivery teams across multiple disciplines and regions, driving the adoption and embrace of new technologies. She is adept at growing capabilities and skills to meet market demand across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, and at building partnerships and alliances to solve client challenges.

Kylie has extensive experience working across all industries and is well-connected with key C-suite stakeholders in federal, state, and local government, as well as in retail, mining, oil and gas, utilities, distribution, health, and financial services. She has a proven track record of driving cultural change and embracing diversity and inclusion, earning awards in coaching, mentoring, and innovation.

With over 25 years of executive leadership experience in technology and consulting, spanning multiple industries, international geographies, and platforms, Kylie is well-versed in Google, AWS, IBM Cloud, and Azure. Her solution experience and qualifications include cybersecurity, data, AI, cloud, and change management. Additionally, she is an AI ethicist with some quantum computing capability.

Kylie is also a media spokesperson, keynote speaker, and author on technology topics, and serves as an advisor to universities and government agencies on cyber, technology research, and education.

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Byron Connolly Head of Programs & Value Engagement at ADAPT
Byron Connolly is a highly experienced technology and business journalist, editor, corporate writer, and event producer, and ADAPT’s Head of Programs and... More

Byron Connolly is a highly experienced technology and business journalist, editor, corporate writer, and event producer, and ADAPT’s Head of Programs and Value Engagement.

Prior to joining Adapt, he was the editor-in-chief at CIO Australia and associate editor at CSO Australia. He also created and led the well-known CIO50 awards program in Australia and The CIO Show podcast.

As the Head of Programs, Byron creates valuable insights for ADAPT’s community of senior technology and business professionals, helping them reach their organisational and professional goals. With over 25 years of experience, he has a passion for uncovering stories about the careers and personal philosophies of Australia’s top technology and digital executives.

When he is not working, Byron enjoys hot yoga, swimming, running, and spending time with his family.

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leadership security management