Cyber Uncut

Latest Episodes:

CONTESTED GROUND: Successive governments have failed to prepare Australia for the era of polycrisis, with Marc Ablong PSM, Geostrategic Risk Partners Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

The war in the Middle East has served to reveal the now metastising vulnerabilities that permeate Australia's economic, political and strategic ecosystems, leaving the nation and its interests exposed.

Australians are increasingly getting the sense that the country is rudderless, struggling to overcome the mounting swell that is serving to swamp our seemingly ill-prepared national "boat".

In the latest episode of the special Contested Ground series unpacking the fallout and implications of the conflict in the Middle East, host Steve Kuper is joined by geostrategic analyst and former Defence policymaker Marc Ablong PSM as they interrogate the nation's preparedness, the era of polycrisis and mobilisation in the modern era.

As part of this, the pair deep dive into what makes a "polycrisis" and why it feels like Australia and Australians are seemingly paddling from one storm to another, both at home and abroad, undermining our national resilience and the nation's capacity to rally in the event of major regional crisis.

They then move on to dissect the challenges of contemporary mobilisation being faced by Australia and like-minded nations across Europe and the United Kingdom, specifically the issues surrounding social cohesion, economic, political and social dislocation and atomisation among young Australians that directly impact national security and resilience.

Finally, the pair discuss Australia's glaring lack of compelling narrative and plan to rally Australians of all generations that leave many feeling like Australia is inescapably caught in a period of managed decline, at a time when the nation's economic, political and strategic security and prosperity faces increasing tension and challenge.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

The CISO Brief: Is AI going to transform banking more than the internet and electricity? Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

This week on The CISO Brief, the Cyber Daily team discusses comments made by banking industry leaders on AI and how it will transform banking and other sectors.

Hosts Liam Garman and Daniel Croft discuss JPMorgan and CEO Jamie Dimon, who says AI will change almost every aspect of the banking industry.

The two then cover AI that is already being used within the sector, with Citigroup using the technology for customer onboarding, cutting an hour off new account openings.

Finally, the two touch on Atlassian and how it has begun implementing AI into its core products, following its major economic downturn as investors lose faith in SaaS.

Enjoy the show, The Cyber Daily team

AI to change banking forever, Iranian cyber attacks, and Australia to tackle DPRK fake IT workers Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft tackle the week's stories that matter, from predictions of dire disruption to the banking industry, Iranian cyber warfare, North Korean hackers in our code, and Americans and Aussies partnering up to combat North Korean hackers.

Artificial intelligence, says JP Morgan's boss, is going to change banking forever, while at the same time, Atlassian is laying off staff in order to fund its AI developments. There's no doubt AI is the fox in the henhouse right now, and Hollingworth and Croft take a hard look at where things really stand.

Then it's on to cyber security, with pro-Iran hackers targeting critical infrastructure and North Korean hackers getting inside the code every developer relies upon. These are two massive challenges for network defenders, and every CISO needs to understand the stakes at play.

Finally, sticking with North Korea, there is some good news – Australia and the United States are now working together to fight back against the scourge of fake IT workers infiltrating our workplaces to fund weapons research and steal intellectual property.

Just another week in cyber security.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut Team

The CISO Brief: Real estate scams cost Australians thousands, new scam tactics, and fake North Korean résumés Apr 05, 2026

Show notes

This week on The CISO Brief, the Cyber Daily team discusses the evolving nature of the scam environment and how it's costing Australians massively, before outlining how foreign actors may be infiltrating your business.

Hosts Liam Garman and Daniel Croft discuss a recent close call with a scammer that almost secured $100,000 from an unknowing Australian property buyer.

The two then cover how scams are evolving in general, with scammers imitating hold music and bypassing multifactor authentication by a middleman calling.

Finally, the two discuss North Korean actors posing as potential hires for Australian businesses to gain access to networks for espionage.

Enjoy the show, The Cyber Daily team

Lloyds Bank AI woes and wins, Aussie toy store hacked, and a new Children's Online Privacy Code Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

On this not-to-be-missed podcast, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft look at the AI best of times and worst of times for the UK's Lloyds Bank, see what LockBit's up to in the ransomware space, and have a look at Australia's new draft Children's Online Privacy Code.

Good news for Lloyds – the UK's biggest bank is deploying AI to bolster its data engineering. It's a smart move that makes sense of the technology, however...

Bad news for Lloyds – the UK's biggest bank may have just exposed a mountain of customer data due to an AI glitch.

The pair also break down how the LockBit ransomware group has evolved and why an Australian toy store may be the perfect target, before having a look at the impact of scams on the Aussie and how terrorist groups are taking advantage of our generosity.

Finally, it's good news, as the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is looking at rewriting the rules to protect our kids' data online.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

CONTESTED GROUND: Apathy, complacency and the 'Lucky Country', Australia's predicament is entirely self-inflicted, with Ben Dullroy Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

Australia has long prided itself on being the "Lucky Country", celebrating a culture of "she'll be right" now that a national culture of apathy is biting at home as the world continues to burn.

As the war in the Middle East continues to rage by the day, Australia and Australians are beginning to feel the very real ramifications in our daily lives.

All of this comes as Australia's political leaders and policymakers continue to point fingers at one another for the respective failures over the past three decades that have all combined to leave Australia dangerously exposed to the shocks of the new multipolar world.

But these aren't the only challenges that are serving to leave Australia in a volatile, unpredictable position, as social cohesion, industrial and economic resilience and demographics combine to create a powder keg for both the public and its policymakers.

Host Steve Kuper is joined by Ben Dullroy of Beaten Zone Venture Partners and Bravo Delta Advisory as they break down the combination of global and domestic factors shaping the nation's resilience, stability and security.

This conversation comes at a time when the public and private debate continues about who has failed the nation, were the ultimate costs of neoliberal hyperglobalisation worth it and can we pivot quickly enough to secure our economic, political and strategic interests?

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

The CISO Brief: SOCI Act to change, banking budgets under strain, and are remote workers a cyber liability? Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

Changes are coming to the Australian digital landscape, and in this week's episode of the CISO Brief, Liam Garman and David Hollingworth explore the essential details of what every CISO needs to know.

The Security of Critical Infrastructure Act (SOCI Act) entails how critical infrastructure should be operated and protected, and the government has proposed some vital changes, including giving ministers the power to ban certain hardware and software vendors.

AI budgets come under the microscope next, with banking and the financial sector looking to match AI uptake, while managing essential legacy systems remains a particular challenge. Here's what you need to know.

Finally, Garman and Hollingworth discuss remote workers and whether they're a cyber security risk or a productivity force multiplier. As many countries respond to the current fuel crisis with new work-from-home mandates, CISO Brief has some essential advice for network defenders with distributed workforces.

Enjoy the show, The Cyber Daily team

AI firms to face child safety fines, Iranian hackers hacked and was Lockheed Martin breached? Mar 27, 2026

Show notes

Cyber security, AI ethics, and geopolitical hacking collide in a packed week of headlines – and in this episode of Cyber Uncut, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft break down what actually matters.

The pressure is mounting on AI firms as Australian regulators eye hefty fines for platforms deemed unsafe for children – is this a fight the Aussie government can win, or will the tech bros find a way to dodge their responsibilities once again? Controversy over US food delivery giant DoorDash tapping workers to help train its AI models is also a hot topic and, once again, Hollingworth and Croft unpack the situation and possible ramifications.

From there, the focus shifts to cyber crime: alleged breaches at anime streaming service Crunchyroll and automotive giant Mazda, Lockheed Martin pushing back on claims that F-35 data was compromised by a pro-Iranian hacker, and an Australian man facing significant jail time over a darknet child abuse site.

Rounding things out, the pair examine rising tensions in the cyber domain, with Iran-linked threat actor Handala drawing the attention of FBI director Kash Patel, before offering a preview of what to expect at next month's Australian Cyber Summit.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

CONTESTED GROUND: Australian resilience during a crisis and sovereign industrial capability Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the Contested Ground Podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Steve Kuper and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson unpack the concept of sovereign industrial capability and its growing importance amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The trio explore how the idea of sovereignty has evolved from a defence-specific concept into a broader national priority, particularly as global supply chains face disruption and Australia confronts its structural dependencies.

They discuss the lack of a clear, shared definition of sovereign capability, and how misunderstandings persist even within defence and national security circles.

The conversation highlights the need for Australia to identify and secure critical capabilities domestically, ranging from fuel and logistics to data and cyber resilience.

The episode also reflects on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and questions whether Australia has made meaningful progress in strengthening self-reliance, or if it remains vulnerable to external shocks.

With rising geopolitical tensions and shifting global dynamics, the speakers consider whether the era of globalisation is reaching its limits.

These topics include engaging discussion across:

The meaning (and ambiguity) of sovereign industrial capability in modern Australia.
Lessons from COVID-19 and ongoing reliance on fragile global supply chains.
The impact of geopolitical conflict on fuel security, logistics and economic stability.
The challenge of building true national resilience versus shifting dependence.
The role of political leadership and decision making in shaping sovereign capability.
The effects of political fragmentation and polarisation on national security planning.
Whether globalisation has reached its limits and the rise of nationalism.
The practical components of sovereignty, including fuel, munitions, cyber resilience and industrial capacity.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

CONTESTED GROUND: From Tehran to Sydney – why war could reshape Australian property Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

What does the war in Iran have to do with Australian housing? Potentially, everything.

In this bold episode of the Contested Ground Podcast, Phillip Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson and leading real estate commentator Tom Panos unpack one of the most overlooked questions in Australia right now: how escalating conflict in the Middle East could reshape the nation's property market.

From fuel prices, inflation and interest rates to rents, construction costs, investor confidence and housing supply, this is a serious attempt to connect global conflict with local property pain (or, maybe, opportunity). The conversation explores whether Australia's real estate market is resilient enough to withstand another major shock, what it means for home owners and investors, and why the consequences of war can hit far closer to home than many realise.

This is not just a discussion about foreign affairs. This podcast episode is sharp, original and one of the first serious efforts to examine how geopolitics could directly shape the future of Australian housing.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

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