Cyber Uncut

Latest Episodes:

Budget priorities, paying ransoms, and Cyber Daily chats with Frank Briguglio, FCTO at SailPoint May 15, 2026

Show notes

Daniel Croft and David Hollingworth analyse the Albanese government's budget, the Instructure breach and ransom payments, and Dan Marks from Austrade chats with SailPoint's federal chief technology officer.

Jim Chalmers has handed down another Labor budget, and while it seems like not a lot for cyber security, Hollingworth thinks the heavy lifting has already been done – do you agree?

Then it's on to a massive issue – do you pay a ransom to cyber criminals? That is possibly what learning platform provider Instructure may have done. The pair break that down, from the morality to the fact that sometimes, that may be the best choice. But can you trust a criminal? The jury, as they say, is out.

And once again, we are joined by Dan Marks, investment director and cyber security lead for Austrade, who sat down with Frank Briguglio, federal chief technology officer at SailPoint, at the recent RSA Conference.

Just another week in cyber security.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

CONTESTED GROUND: Australia and the West must ask themselves new questions in the face of the modern world, with Robbin Laird May 11, 2026

Show notes

Each and every day, the world is becoming more unpredictable, yet Australia continues with the post-Cold War status quo. As things continue to deteriorate, we're going to have to ask ourselves some particularly confronting questions. Australia and its allies are entering an "age of chaos" in which the assumptions that shaped the post-Cold War order are rapidly breaking down.

Rather than dealing with isolated crises that can be managed and resolved individually, governments, militaries, and societies are now confronting overlapping and mutually reinforcing disruptions, including strategic competition, technological upheaval, economic fragmentation, supply chain vulnerability, and the rise of networked authoritarian powers.

Central to Australia's response is understanding the distinction between traditional "crisis management" and "chaos management". Crisis management assumes stability will eventually return and institutions can revert to previous norms once a disruption passes. Chaos management, by contrast, accepts that instability, uncertainty, and persistent competition are now enduring features of the strategic environment.

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by expert defence and security analyst and White House veteran Robbin Laird to discuss the impact of the emergence of the era of disruption.

This only becomes more important and pivotal as we grapple with the reality that the international system is no longer defined by uncontested Western dominance, nor is it returning to a simple Cold War-style bipolar structure.

Rather, the world is evolving into a fragmented and highly interconnected environment where economic dependency and geopolitical rivalry coexist simultaneously, particularly between the United States and China. This creates strategic complexity for middle powers such as Australia, whose decisions on defence, trade, industrial policy, and alliances will increasingly shape the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Australia's response to this is recognising the growing importance of resilience and sovereign capability. The author argues that efficiency and globalisation can no longer be the sole priorities for democratic nations if they undermine strategic security. Supply chains, industrial capacity, digital infrastructure, and technological innovation are increasingly viewed as national security issues rather than purely economic considerations.

In this context, adaptability, redundancy, and the ability to rapidly regenerate capability are presented as critical determinants of national power. Ultimately, democratic nations must rethink how they approach leadership, preparedness, and strategy in a world defined by accelerating disruption.

Rather than attempting to restore an increasingly obsolete status quo, governments and institutions must develop the capacity to operate effectively amid prolonged uncertainty, while strengthening alliances, industrial resilience, and societal cohesion to navigate an increasingly contested global order.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground Team

AI security woes, Aussie schools caught in international breach, and ThreatLocker's Rob Allen May 08, 2026

Show notes

Australian students and teachers have been compromised by an international data breach, with thousands of kids likely impacted. David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft break down how it happened, why it matters, and what schools need to do to protect themselves. PLUS! Cyber Daily partners with Austrade to bring you a series of interviews direct from the RSA Conference 2026. Artificial intelligence is having an impact on almost every industry, and finance is no exception – that's why the US Federal Reserve is helping the sector navigate the global impact of AI. And while organisations are adopting the technology at pace, they're often too slow to secure it. Understand why that matters and what your organisation can do.

The big news of the week stems from a breach of cloud education platform provider Instructure, and Aussie schools – and staff and students – have already been compromised. Find out what happened, who did the hacking, and what it means for the education sector at large. If you're a school CISO, this is vital information!

Finally, the podcast wraps up with a pair of special guests, as Austrade's investment director at the Australian embassy in Washington sits down with ThreatLocker's Rob Allen to talk about the company's philosophy, its operations in Australia, and the importance of application control in the modern enterprise.

Just another week in cyber security.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

AI without guardrails – why Australian businesses are sleepwalking into cyber risk May 01, 2026

Show notes

Qualys ANZ managing director Sam Salehi joins the Cyber Uncut podcast to expose the expanding AI attack surface, the governance gaps exposing organisations, and why boards must translate cyber risk into dollars to take it seriously. This week on the Cyber Uncut podcast, host Liam Garman speaks with Qualys ANZ managing director Sam Salehi about the rapidly evolving "AI attack surface" – from shadow AI usage and prompt injection risks to data leakage and model vulnerabilities – and why a lack of visibility is leaving businesses exposed before they even realise it.

Salehi outlines the core problem facing security leaders: organisations often don't know what AI tools are already in use, let alone how to secure them. The conversation explores how fragmented tooling, poor asset inventory, and missing business context are undermining risk management efforts, while boards continue to push AI adoption for efficiency gains. Salehi argues that leaders are flying blind, prioritising the wrong threats while leaving critical exposures unaddressed.

From data minimisation and API security to continuous monitoring and the rise of the "risk operations centre", Salehi emphasises the need for a unified, risk-based approach. His bottom line is blunt: in an environment where exploitation timelines are shrinking to hours, the only metric that matters is how quickly organisations can detect and close exposure – before attackers do.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

CONTESTED GROUND: The Defence budget, inflationary pressures and domestic information warfare Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

The release and messaging surrounding the 2026 National Defence Strategy and 2026 Integrated Investment Program is just the latest salvo in the government's effort to direct the national conversation about our national security.

With the government emphasising major increases in Defence spending over the next decade, the government is hoping that the headline figures and a lack of public understanding of Defence spending will be enough to convince the nation we're doing enough to protect our interests.

Hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson and Steve Kuper deep dive into the current battle for control of the narrative and the unfolding strategies being leveraged to target various Australian demographics, with specific examples in the economic domain as Australians face increasing inflation and fuel insecurity despite what they're being told.

The trio also unpack the latest announcements around the winds of change sweeping through the Department of Defence, with the recent appointments to chief of Defence, chief of Army and the appointment of the new secretary of Defence designed to emphasise the government's priority areas: national resilience and sovereignty.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

EU gets age verification right, Anthropic's Claude Mythos, and the week in cyber attacks Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft dive into the biggest stories in cyber security and cyber intelligence, and Anthropic's Claude Mythos preview and Project Glasswing continue to cover both – and it's already been breached. Plus, age verification plans in the European Union (EU), and a wrap-up of ransomware incidents impacting Aussie businesses.

Love it or hate it, but age verification appears to be here to stay, and while Australia may be struggling with its implementation, Hollingworth and Croft think the EU may be on to something with its take – find out why, and why it's a better idea than Australia's.

Anthropic's Claude Mythos AI model is hyped as a vulnerability-hunting powerhouse and too dangerous to share, but outsiders have already gotten inside. And one expert thinks the hype for the platform doesn't match the reality.

Finally, it's been another less-than-stellar week for ransomware actors targeting Australian businesses, with a crane manufacturer, a pharmacy, and a family history society all falling victim to hackers.

Just another week in cyber security.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

CONTESTED GROUND: Shipping, supply chains and Australia's exposure to a volatile system, with UNSW's Professor Douglas Guilfoyle and Associate Professor Daniel Prior Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

We are consistently reminded that Australia is a maritime trading nation and, as such, is exposed to all the vulnerabilities. So why haven't we prepared accordingly?

As the ceasefire in the Middle East collapses and both sides begin to once again ramp up their efforts to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz and the globally sensitive waterway, Australia is reminded of its inherent vulnerability to global maritime shocks.

To date, Australia's response to these challenges has been to default to the organs and institutions established by the post-World War II order, seeking arbitration, mediation and resolution, however, those mechanisms no longer suffice.

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by UNSW's Professor Douglas Guilfoyle and Associate Professor Daniel Prior, authors of the World in Transition report detailing the challenges which face Australia and now thrown into public focus as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.

The trio deep dive into the legal, economic and political challenges that have emerged as a result of the conflict in the Middle East and Australia's mounting issues that will only continue to compound in the coming months.

They also discuss the ramifications of post-Cold War globalisation and the creation and vulnerability of the "just in time" supply chain ecosystems and what can be done to minimise our exposure to these challenges.

Finally, they also interrogate the phenomena of "friendshoring" and "reshoring" as solutions to bringing supply chains closer to home as a means of securing national interests and what models can be leveraged to change Australia's self-inflicted vulnerability.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

Compliance isn't just box-ticking, it can be an uplift opportunity, with Fujitsu's Laura O'Neill Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

Many organisations struggle with the changing nature of cyber security compliance and regulations – but it can be a powerful force for positive change, according to the head of advisory and assurance at Fujitsu, Laura O'Neill. Join Cyber Daily's deputy editor, David Hollingworth, and Fujitsu's Laura O'Neill as they take an insightful look at the world of compliance and regulations in the age of AI adoption at scale and an expanding threat landscape.

In this essential podcast, the pair analyse the shift from "compliance" to "continuous cyber accountability" before moving onto critical infrastructure and its modern definition, the challenges of securing ever more complex supply chains and how, at the end of the day, it's all about keeping businesses and their processes ready to face the inevitable without fear.

O'Neill will be a guest at this month's Australian Cyber Summit, along with range of other exceptional speakers and panellists, so get your tickets now!

Understanding CISOs as leaders, not just defenders, with PEXA's Graham Fairley Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

Cyber security leadership matters now more than ever, and the role of CISO is the most important piece of the puzzle. Join Cyber Daily's David Hollingworth and PEXA's cyber lead, Graham Fairley, to discover how security can become a business enabler, not an afterthought.

With the Australian Cyber Summit 2026 coming up later this month, David Hollingworth, deputy editor of Cyber Daily, is joined by the CISO of property settlement platform PEXA to deep dive into how the role of CISO can be a key part of any business's growth story.

From enabling business growth via secure business practices, to treating cyber security as a whole-of-business necessity rather than just something that's "nice to have" – all while navigating the advancement of AI – this essential discussion will expand your idea of what a CISO can be.

Don't forget – tickets are now on sale for the Australian Cyber Summit, coming up on 30 April in Sydney. BUY YOURS NOW!

How PowerWater's CISO embeds cyber security into business strategy from day 1 Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

Some boards consider cyber security an IT problem. Others see it as a cost. However, Dominic Grunden, CISO at PowerWater, works with department leads to embed cyber security into business strategy from day one: making safety, security, and compliance a business enabler.

Ahead of this year's Australian Cyber Summit, Australia's premier cyber security conference and awards, Liam Garman sits down with Grunden to discuss how cyber leaders can communicate strategy to C-suite executives.

To hear more about how CISOs are reforming risk and business strategy, secure your tickets for the Australian Cyber Summit here.

Grunden dives into how he embeds cyber security into business strategy and how cyber leaders can collaborate with department heads to ensure that security is not a last-minute bottleneck for business growth.

From translating complex threats into decisions executives actually act on, to balancing innovation with protection in one of Australia's most high-stakes infrastructure environments: this is a critical conversation business leaders need to have.

Want to hear Grunden live? Secure your tickets to the Australian Cyber Summit here.

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