In this episode of the ASIAL Security Insider podcast, we speak with Professor Jon Whittle about the potential impact of AI on the future of security.

Jon is the Director at CSIRO's Data61, Australia's national centre for R&D in data science and digital technologies. With over 800 staff and affiliates, partnerships with industries across almost every sector, and collaborations with over 30 Universities, Data61 acts both as a centre for expertise and an enabler for national initiatives.

Data61's strengths are in #artificialintelligence and #machinelearning, #cybersecurity and #privacy preserving technologies, #robotics and #autonomous systems, and #computationalscience. Data61 works across the entirety of CSIRO, collaborating with scientists and engineers in manufacturing, health and biosecurity, agriculture and food, minerals, land and water, oceans and atmosphere, and energy.

Data61 offers computer scientists, data scientists, engineers and designers a unique opportunity to work on cutting edge research that will translate into real-world positive impacts on society.

Jon covers a range of topics including:

The key security threats that AI and ML might help mitigate or prevent?

How AI and ML are currently being used in both the physical and cybersecurity space, and what results have they achieved so far?

The main challenges or limitations of using AI and ML for security purposes.

How AI can help with threat detection, especially against sophisticated or zero-day attacks?

How adversaries are using AI for malicious purposes.

What can be done to counteract such threats?

The role human experts play in an AI-driven security framework, and how that might change in the future?

How organizations can ensure the AI systems they adopt for security are unbiased and reliable?

What ethical considerations should be kept in mind when deploying AI and ML for security purposes?

How AI might impact data privacy and regulatory compliance in the realm of physical and cybersecurity?

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In this episode of the Security Insider Podcast, we speak with Australian Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind.

In addition to her current role as the Australian Privacy Commissioner, Carly has a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, A Masters in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is the former Legal Director for Privacy International and most recently, the former Director of the Ada Lovelace Institute – an independent research institute with a mission to ensure data and AI work for people and society.

In her current role as the Australian Privacy Commissioner, Carly is responsible for shaping Australia’s information handling landscape across the economy – from government, digital platforms and the online environment, to health, finance and telecommunications.

In this episode, we discuss the recent findings arising from the OAIC's Investigations into Bunning's use of Facial Recognition, what the OAIC believes should have been done differently, how they reached their findings and what needs to be done in future to ensure other businesses can avoid breaches of the Australian Privacy Principles when deploying facial recognition systems.

As we head into the holiday season, retail sales, increased travel, live events and social engagements can all make for a busy and sometimes hostile environment for security personnel.

In this episode of the ASIAL Security Insider podcast, we speak with Trevor Lawson, Director - Asia Pacific Region, Verbal Judo Australia.

I have over 20 years of experience in frontline security in the health sector and as an instructor in strategies for managing aggression and customer service skills, Trevor walks us through some strategies for managing hostile encounters and preventing incidents through verbal de-escalation.

Trevor was mentored and trained by the former Australian Director of Verbal Judo, Will King, who worked with and was trained by the late George J Thompson, PHD, the original founder and director of Verbal Judo.

Verbal Judo has been the go-to tactical communication system for law enforcement departments across the globe for over twenty years.

In this episode of the Security Insider podcast, we speak with Neil Fergus, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Intelligent Risks Pty Ltd. Neil founded Intelligent Risks in 2001 following a 20-year career in the Australian Government; including roles as a senior diplomat, as Manager Middle East and as the Principal Operations Adviser. He has since led IR’s growth into becoming a pre-eminent international management services firm. He is an internationally recognised speaker and author on risk management, security, KRE and terrorism; and is a co-author of Security Risk Management (HB167 – 2006).

He has been a senior adviser to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) since 2004, on six Commonwealth Games. He has also been engaged in the planning and delivery of security for 11 Olympic Games, including several reviews for the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Neil has conducted numerous complex reviews for governments, such as the ‘Layers of Aviation Security Review’ for the Australian Government and several projects for the US State Department’s Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program, including in the Middle East, East Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. He has led IR security teams delivering projects for several other governments including Argentina, Brazil, Brunei, China, Colombia, France, Greece, India, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the UAE and the UK. He has also advised on security planning for several international political summits including APECs, ASEAN, CHOGMs, G20s and NATO.

Neil has been directly involved in the response to over 50 international kidnap or forced detention cases. Most of IRs work in this field is under contract to international underwriters. Similarly the IR team are first responders for international underwriters supporting insured entities affected by product contamination and malicious product tampering events.

The International Olympic Committee bestowed the Award of the Golden Olympic Rings on Neil for his contribution to the security of Olympics and international sport. The Governor General of Australia awarded Neil the Australian Sports Medal in 2022. He was also awarded the Outstanding Security Professional Award (OSPA) in 2022 as the leading Australian security consultant.

In this episode of the Security Insider podcast, we explore the issues surrounding the challenges of social media and artificial intelligence, specifically in the context of online radicalisation. How are these tools being used by extremist groups to target and radicalise at-risk individuals? Why has online radicalisation risen in recent years? What can be done to prevent this type of activity, and how might we recognise and address potential victims of online radicalisation in our own organisations? 

We are joined by Paul Ash, chief executive of the Christchurch Call Foundation, and Dr Nicole Matejic to help us better understand these challenges.

Paul has extensive experience in public policy, including the cyber, digital, and security sectors. In addition to his role as Chief Executive of the Christchurch Call Foundation, he serves as a member of the Aspen Global Cybersecurity Group with the Aspen Institute, one of the world’s leading think tanks on a wide range of topics, including security and global affairs. He was the New Zealand Government representative on the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism and has had a long and illustrious career in government, including 21 years with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, where he served as a Diplomat, Deputy Director of the International Security Disarmament Division and a Senior Policy officer, amongst other roles, before becoming the director of National Cyber Policy, Director, National Security Policy and then the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Cyber and Digital security. 

In addition to being an Author & National Security focused Behavioural Economist, Dr Nicole Matejic is the Principal Strategic Advisor at The Christchurch Call Foundation. She is also an adjunct Lecturer on Terrorism and National Security at Charles Sturt University and a partner at Immuto Group, where she focuses on National Security and Sovereign Risk. Her books include Social Media, Rules of Engagement, and The Hate Economy - The Lies People Sell That Lead to Violence. 

In this episode of the ASIAL Security Insider Podcast, we speak with Matthew Curtis, one of the authors and a principal driver of the new ISO 22340 Security and Resilience — Protective Security — Guidelines for an Enterprise Protective Security Architecture and Framework, the first-ever standard providing guidance on protective security. This new standard has been developed and completed within the auspices of the International Organization for Standardization. The draft has now passed the final ballot – the process of resolving final editorial matters, conducting the final edit, and, ultimately, publication will then follow.

In this podcast, we discuss how the standard is designed to meet a pressing need for organisations to adopt enterprise governance arrangements, enabling formulation implementation of all security controls coordinated within a single framework and strategically aligned with the business of the organisation.

ISO 22340 is the first international standard on protective security and following its planned adoption as an Australian standard, the first of its kind here in Australia as well.

Matthew went to great lengths to ensure that he explained the development and deployment of this standard was a team effort, stating, “I owe a great debt of gratitude to the team of professionals who have given so much of their time, knowledge and intellectual rigour to the project. These include Jason Brown, Head of Delegation for Australia to ISO/TC 292, Anna Harris, Chair of the Standards Australia committee MB-025 Security and Resilience, Alex Webling, Julian Talbot, Adam Incher, Matt Warmington, David Harding and Robert Gore, and more latterly, Vern Amey. Also of great value were the contributions and support of colleagues on the project team representing France, United States of America, Norway, Japan, Sweden, Republic of Korea and United Kingdom.”

Technologies such as AI are playing a transformative role in shaping the security services landscape in Australia. The pace of technology advancements is revolutionising traditional security practices, enhancing operational efficiencies and addressing evolving security challenges. Security has become a critical business risk for boards. As a result, there is a growing understanding of the imperative to invest in innovative solutions that ensure operational resilience and provide protection against brand and reputational damage. Featuring a panel of CEOs from Australia’s leading security providers, this podcast, which was recorded at the 2024 Security ASIAL Conference, explores the technologies and innovations driving the future of security, what this will look like and how it will address the needs of customers.

Key Topics:

Broad areas to be discussed include:

• Customer-driven solutions – how customer-driven solutions are driving change. Getting customer buy-in and understanding of the investment required to deploy new technologies?

• Cyber – understanding the risks organisations face and the role security providers can play in delivering secure systems and solutions.

• Emerging Technologies: The panel will discuss the latest technological innovations, such as AI, IoT devices, drones, facial recognition systems, and advanced surveillance tools, and their impact on security operations.

• Integration and Interoperability: Delve into the challenges and opportunities of integrating diverse security technologies and ensuring seamless interoperability to create a cohesive security ecosystem.

• Future Trends: Gain insights into the upcoming trends and innovations in technology and AI that are set to reshape the future of the Australian security industry.

Hosted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Journalist, Writer, Producer and Presenter Jeremy Fernandez, the panel members include:

• Geoff Alcock - Managing Director, MSS Security
• Thea Emetlis - Country President, Securitas
• Brett Pickens - Chief Executive, Certis Australia
• Nick Schijf - Chief Operating Officer, Wilson Security
• Harrie Veerman - Managing Director, Securecorp

In this episode of the Security Insider podcast, we speak with Dr Ivano Bongiovanni.

Following a career as a Police Officer with the Italian Ministry of Interior, Ivano took on the role of Deputy Venue Security Manager at the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games. Ivano then went on to complete a PhD in Risk Management in international airports in Australia, following which he created a framework to detect instances of organisational vulnerability to safety and security accidents from the operator level to the strategic one. From 2016 to 2018, Ivano worked for the PwC Chair in Digital Economy at QUT in a hybrid consultant/researcher capacity. He now serves as the General Manager at Auscert a not for profit cyber security incident support, vulnerability management, threat intelligence and training and education amonst other things. When he is not doing all that, Ivano is also a senior lecturer in information security, governance and leadership at the University of Queensland

The escalating reliance on satellite technology for communication, navigation, and national security necessitates a heightened focus on space cybersecurity. The potential repercussions of a successful cyber-attack on these systems extend from disrupting communication networks to causing physical damage.

In this episode of the Security Insider podcast, we speak with Gaurav Vikash - Head Of Security And Risk, Apac at Axon. Gaurav will be presenting later this month at the security expo, taking place from the 21st to the 23rd of August at Darling harbour in Sydney. In his presentation, Gaurav will delve into the challenges of securing space systems, emphasizing the global impacts and the imperative for international collaboration. 

In this episode of the Security Insider podcast, we are looking at the ethical development and deployment of AI in the security space.

We all know that AI is set to play a crucial role in the future of not just security but society as a whole. Amongst the many challenges around the development of AI, are things like ensuring that privacy, transparency, security, and fairness are paramount in any discussion and development. 

To help us better understand these issues, we are speaking with Philip Meyer. Philip is a Technology Strategist at Microsoft, where he has worked for over 30 years. He helps Microsoft Partners build solutions and services for various sectors using Microsoft’s wide range of products and technologies. His main areas of expertise are Migration to the Cloud, Hybrid Cloud implementations, Artificial Intelligence and Security. He has also held roles in Product Marketing, Business Development and Team Management in his career at Microsoft. Philip will be presenting on AI and the way we, as an industry, might better navigate this uncertain future at the upcoming Security Conference being held in Darling Harbour from the 21st to the 23rd of August.