Hacktivism was brought to the fore through the war in Ukraine, as hacktivists took aim at the Russian and Belarusian nation states, companies and individuals, however, hacktivism as a means of protest has been around for a long time. So, are we seeing a rise in hacktivism as social, environmental and governance risks rise? Professor Alana Maurushat of Western Sydney University says often, hacktivism is a legitimate form of protest which sometimes veers into illegal territory, however she cautions much of the grey area is and will be sorted out in the courts. What she most warns against is allowing a slippery slide from hacktivism to vigilantism. Karly Winkler of ASPI says companies need to be aware of their vulnerabilities to hacktivists, and should be cognisant of the need to address some of the pressing issues being protested against. No matter the ultimate intent of cyber threats, business and investors need to beware.

Speakers:
Karly Winkler - ASPI
Alana Maurushat - Profesor in Cyber Security and Behaviour, Computing & ICT - Western Sydney University

More than one in five leaders have said that their primary reason for wanting workers to come back into the office is actually to maintain a better corporate security structure. But is that the right solution? Employees and staff these days have been given this opportunity to work remotely from home, and it doesn't seem like the office is going to see a full workforce back just to improve corporate security, not anytime soon. Troy Heland from Verizon says that the sudden transition into working from home, while it maintained business continuity for companies large and small, it also increased the attack vector for cyber criminals to hit personal and business devices. Vladimir Mitnovetski from Dicker Data adds that attacks on these devices are getting more and more sophisticated, coming from areas where people would never expect them to come, highlighting that reliance on managed service providers and technology partners needs to be a priority.

Speakers:
Vlad Mitnovetski - COO - Dicker Data
Troy Heland - Network Operations Manager - Verizon
Eddy Gasparini - CISO (Corporate IT) - NTT

Ransomware attacks only account for a small percentage of cyber crime attacks, but more often than not they involve high value targets, so the cost impact is outsized. The attacks generally happen when a criminal, often part of an organised gang, deploys some form of malware into a company's systems. Once they've gained access, important data is stolen, and then the ransom process begins. Sometimes the thieves require a single payment to have the data returned or destroyed.
Other times they use 'double extortion' tactics, requiring payments for both the return of the data, and to stop them giving it to the company's competitor. It's estimated up to 80% of companies which experience a ransomware attack end up paying the extortionist, even though the official government advice is not to. In this episode of Crisis Control we dig into how business can protect against the threat, and manage the process if targeted.

Speakers:
Alex Nixon - Senior Vice President - Kroll
Shane Bell - Partner - McGrathNicol
David Fairman - CSO - Netskope
Jocelinn Kang - Program Manager/Technical Specialist - ASPI
Victor Akkari - VP Information Technology - Cochlear

Minister for Digital Victor Dominello says we are not in a world of pen and paper anymore. Tech is key in solving complex problems, but businesses need to know how secure that tech is. The labour party rose into power this year on a number of new policies. It cited cybersecurity as a key pillar of national security, which led to the appointment of Australia's cyber minister. Three months later, how are these policies tracking along? McGrathNicol's Jamie Norton says it's a little early to talk about outcomes, but the signs are pointing to a bright future for Australian cybersecurity. KPMG's Greg Miller says it's important the government remains open about the topic with businesses. Still, the workforce issue remains, and Zirilio's Lawrence Patrick says the government will need to find the workers to fulfil this grand plan. So what are they? Tune in.

Speakers:
Jamie Norton - Partner - McGrathNicol
Greg Miller - Partner - KPMG
Victor Dominello - NSW Digital Minister - State Government
Lawrence Patrick - CMO - Zirilio

Gone are the days where the board can hire a CIO or CSO and call it a day. McGrathNicol's Jamie Norton says the CISO role is one of an "influencer", in charge of making people aware of how cyber risks extend beyond technology. Organisations need to accept and understand that cyber risk is business risk, and how human error contributes to cyber attacks. Verizon's Robert Le Busque says 82% of all cyber breaches include some type of human interaction. The increase in cybersecurity threats has brought a wave of new regulations, but is that a good thing? EY's Michelle Price says it is, but there needs to be more of an emphasis on the pace and scale of technological research. Watch for more on the changing dynamics of the industry, evolving best practice and key cyber concerns.

Speakers:
Jamie Norton - Partner - McGrathNicol
Robert Le Busque - Regional Vice President - Verizon Business
Michelle Price - Partner - EY

What are the risks as AI moves from small scale experimentation to the core of large Australian enterprises? Eliiza's James Wilson says the future of AI in Australia is "incredibly promising" but warns there are a few things business needs to get right including transparency and accountability. Dr Liming Zhu of the CSIRO's Data61 says "trust is the new currency" in the world of AI, and says businesses who can mitigate the risks will gain the advantage. EY's Christina Larkin says the productivity gains and personalisation of service made possible by AI are worth navigating the risks, including cyber risks. So how can Australian companies implement responsible AI and to what end? Watch to find out.

Speakers:
Christina Larkin - Assurance Digital Trust Leader - EY
James Wilson - CEO - Eliiza
Liming Zhu - Research Director - CSIRO Data61

Platform providers are battling for dominance as the mass migration to the cloud continues at pace. But Australian businesses are struggling to fully shift to the public cloud, with security a major concern. Zirilio's Lawrence Patrick warns companies against making any assumptions regarding data security on the cloud, even when dealing with the hyperscalers Microsoft, Amazon and Google. Data security is a challenge Cloudera's Renee Divr is tracking as well, saying it's an additional struggle to consolidate and govern data on different cloud systems. Oracle's Chris Chelliah is keeping an eye on the opportunities of migration as the cloud gets "closer and closer to the edge." To make it to the edge, HCL Technologies' Michael Horton warns Australia needs over 200,000 additional IT workers, and to ensure the transition happens safely. So which office cloud platforms are winning the race, and how is the struggle for data security helping and hindering cloud adoption?

Speakers:
Chris Chelliah - SVP, Technology, Customer Strategy & BD - Oracle
Renee Divr - Solutions Engineering Manager - Cloudera
Michael Horton - Executive VP & Country Manager ANZ - HCL Technologies

It’s a matter of when - not if. Cyber criminals target what means most to Australian businesses, and they are growing increasingly sophisticated. Zirilio's Lawrence Patrick says by the time we know cybercriminals are there, it's usually too late and the damage has been done. Despite that, many businesses underestimate cyber risks, and don't have a recovery plan in place. EY Cyber Lead Partner Richard Bergman says geopolitics and successful ransomware attacks are fueling the profitable cybercrime industry. He also point to the velocity of the threat landscape, skill shortages and underinvestment in cybersecurity. DTEX CTO and co-founder Mohan Koo says cybercrime is a problem only collaboration can solve, and goes beyond what the government alone can do.

Speakers:
Richard Bergman - Cybersecurity Lead Partner - EY
Mohan Koo - Co Founder & CTO - Dtex Systems
Lawrence Patrick - CMO - Zirilio