Cyber Uncut

Latest Episodes:

Grok still under fire, potential ASRock data breach, and watchdog targets automated decision making Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

This week on Cyber Uncut, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft are still talking about Grok's nudity woes, OpenAI's turn to ads, the potential compromise of a major rack hardware maker, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's calls for more government transparency.

The pair kick things off once again with Grok and its struggles in producing sexual abuse material and OpenAI's move to introduce ads into ChatGPT.

In cyber security news, the Everest ransomware group claims to have stolen vital hardware data from ASRock Rack, with the potential for some serious downstream impacts and further cyber attacks. Plus, hackers who have been named and in court, and 2025 in cryptocurrency crime.

And finally, some good news – search engine DuckDuckGo says NO to AI, and the OAIC looks to boost government transparency around automated decision making.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

CONTESTED GROUND: Australia's efforts to combat extremism, anti-Semitism, and balance freedom Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the Contested Ground Podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson, and Steve Kuper discuss the Australian government's legislative efforts to combat anti-Semitism, hatred, and violent extremism in Australia.

The trio unpack the legislative proposal and political considerations that have shaped the Albanese government's Combating Anti-Semitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026, developed in the aftermath of the terrorist shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach, Sydney, which resulted in at least 15 deaths and over 40 injuries on 14 December 2025.

The trio also discuss the fine line between balancing national security, freedom, protesting and religious liberties as a democracy and the different requests identified by the opposition, Greens and other minor parties ahead of the debate.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground Team

The CISO Brief: AI-powered threats and the importance of rapid response Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

For the second episode of The CISO Brief, the Cyber Daily team outlines the lessons businesses can learn from major cyber attacks, including those targeting government agencies, the importance of acting fast post-cyber incidents, and what businesses can do as AI scams rear their head.

In this episode, hosts Liam Garman and Daniel Croft discuss the impacts and lessons learnt from the Victorian government schools cyber incident, in which all 1,700 schools were impacted.

The two then discuss the importance of the first few hours following a cyber attack when it comes to incident response and how to maximise the efficacy of legal counsel.

They then talk about a new Australian Signals Directorate guide to combating AI scams and the greatest lessons it provides for businesses combating AI-powered cyber crime.

Enjoy the show, The Cyber Daily team

The Pentagon backs Grok, Victorian schools hacked, and Bandcamp says no to AI Jan 16, 2026

Show notes

This week, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft are joined by HR Leader's Carlos Tse to talk about AI in the workplace. We chat about Grok's ongoing issues with sexually abusive content, the Pentagon's move to embrace the platform regardless, and a hack that has compromised the data of every school in Victoria.

The podcast kicks off with a discussion on a new partnership between the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and Microsoft to keep AI in the workplace human-centric, and the US Department of Defence betting hard on Grok to increase its warfighting capacity.

In cyber security news, an unknown threat actor has compromised Victoria's Department of Education, impacting every school in the state. Hollingworth and Croft talk about the Everest hacking group's Big Game Hunting tactics and its targeting of a pair of major carmakers.

The pair wrap things up with a discussion of Bandcamp's move to ban AI from its platform, and talk about this year's Australian Cyber Awards – nominations are now open, so get yours in!

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

The CISO Brief: Compliance and incident response Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

In this first episode of The CISO Brief, the Cyber Daily team unpacks the OAIC's spot compliance checks, the role of legal counsel in cyber incident response, and how small financial services providers can keep themselves safe.

Welcome to the first episode of Cyber Daily's The CISO Brief, a weekly news podcast to help business leaders navigate the world of cyber security.

In this episode, hosts Liam Garman and Daniel Croft discuss how the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is conducting spot checks on a number of businesses, ranging from real estate agencies to car dealerships.

They then discuss the role of legal counsel in incident response and how a changing regulatory landscape necessitates the engagement of cyber lawyers.

They wrap up unpacking how SMEs operating in the mortgages sector can keep themselves safe amid a changing threat environment.

Enjoy the show, The Cyber Daily team

Grok's sexual abuse, Qantas' AI shift, and Trump's cyber warfare? Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, Daniel Croft and Bethany Alvaro are joined by Australian Aviation's Jake Nelson to discuss AI, before talking about local hacks, NSW Health, and Trump alluding to the use of cyber warfare in Venezuela.

Croft, Alvaro, and Nelson first discuss Qantas and its shift towards AI implementation in 2026.

The trio then discuss Grok and the dangers of the new "edit image" button that has led to the creation of deepfake child sexual abuse material.

Croft and Alvaro then discuss the Australian band Royel Otis and a failed request by the guitarist to obtain the anonymous details of users he said were defaming him.

Finally, the two discuss Trump and his hinting that cyber warfare may have been used in the strikes on Venezuela to shut off the lights and create pathways in for US forces.

Enjoy the episode, The Cyber Uncut team

CONTESTED GROUND: Venezuela, Russia, China, Iran and America's resurgence Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, co-host Steve Kuper and returning co-host Liam Garman unpack the fallout of the American special forces raid in Venezuela.

The pair also discuss the broader global ramifications emerging as a result of the American direct action in Latin America, including:

The real motivations behind America's raid and why simple claims of regime change or pursuit of oil may not be as clear-cut as some would have us believe.
Ongoing concerns about security and stability in the Middle East following revelations of significant strategic military deployments from the US to Europe and the region.
The sociopolitical challenges facing Australia and allied nations as protests unfold in cities across the world, with political discourse shifting from the Middle East to Venezuela and claims of American imperialism.
The ramifications of fraying, sectarian political debates and echo chambers that undermine social cohesion and national stability.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

Bondi shooting misinformation, ShinyHunters returns, and how to stay cyber safe while travelling Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

This week, for the last Cyber Uncut of 2025, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft talk about Grok's spreading of misinformation regarding the tragic Bondi terror attack, OpenAI's admission of "high cyber risk", the re-emergence of ShinyHunters with a string of possible extortion attempts, ransomware attacks on medical centres, and important tips for using public Wi-Fi over the holidays.

The pair kick things off with reports of how Grok utterly failed to deliver accurate information regarding the 14 December shootings targeting the Jewish community in Sydney. The chatbot utterly failed to meet the moment, leading to multiple instances of incorrect information circulating on X.

In cyber security news, ShinyHunters is engaging in a string of extortion attempts that may – or may not be – linked to its breach of data analytics firm Mixpanel. It's a bit of a ride and a fascinating example of how quickly things can change in the cyber crime landscape. Plus, two more Aussie healthcare centres fall victim to ransomware attacks.

And finally, some helpful travel advice, a wrap-up of our big moments from 2025, and some things to look forward to in 2026.

See you next year The Cyber Uncut team

CONTESTED GROUND: The nexus of national security, social cohesion and grey-zone warfare Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

In this solemn episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson and Steve Kuper discuss the immediate aftermath of the Bondi Beach terror attack.

The trio discuss the terrorist shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach, Sydney, which resulted in at least 15 deaths and over 40 injuries. They also tackle the implications of the targeted anti-Semitic attack on Australia's intelligence and law enforcement community.

The conversation then shifts to the beginning of the broader national conversations that will now be taking place in Canberra and capital cities around the nation, as the nation and Sydney grieve the loss of national innocence.

We would also like to pass on our sincere condolences, thoughts and prayers to those impacted by the tragic events.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

The Pentagon's new AI platform, SafePay ransomware scores a hat-trick, and social media ban Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

This episode discusses the US Department of War's AI "Manifest Destiny", hackers going hard on Aussie victims, and Australia bringing in its brand new social media ban.

Hosts David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft kick things off with artificial intelligence, with CommBank trialling a new DevOps agent and the Pentagon launching its new GenAI.mil platform to "dominate" its adversaries.

The pair move on to cyber crime, and the SafePay ransomware gang strikes at three Australian victims in a single week.

Hollingworth and Croft also discuss the social media ban, which came into effect this week.

Finally, the pair look at the Privacy Commissioner's new compliance crusade and a warning that scammers are posing as charities this Christmas season. Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

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