In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth and Bethany Alvaro talk about the week's cyber security and AI news!

Hollingworth and Alvaro get things started with a warning about a rise in AI-driven holiday scams taking advantage of the silly season. The pair also talk about a recent call from CPA Australia for young Australians to embrace AI to drive their entrepreneurial dreams.

And then it's on to cyber security, with parliamentarians in Canberra warned to secure their connected devices ahead of a visit by a Chinese official, and worrying research on how the Chinese AI platform DeepSeek can actively insert vulnerabilities into code when certain "political triggers" are detected. And, sadly, the hacking never stops, with cyber extortionists targeting a pair of Aussie organisations.

But we end on some good news. Hollingworth and Alvaro cover the newly announced AI Safety Institute, as well as the very welcome news of sanctions targeting a Russian cyber criminal service provider.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson and new co-host, Steve Kuper, detail the intricacies of the proposed Russia–Ukraine peace deal announced by US President Donald Trump.

The trio also unpack three emerging security issues: a proposed Russia–Ukraine peace deal, heightened Chinese activity in the northern Pacific, and suspected Russian sabotage operations in Europe.

The peace proposal centres on a 30-day ceasefire, prisoner exchanges, and Ukraine conceding or freezing control of occupied territories. Ukraine would permanently renounce NATO membership, cap its military at around 600,000 personnel, and restrict long-range weapons. In return, the US and its partners would offer conditional security guarantees and gradually lift sanctions, with up to US$100 billion in frozen Russian assets used for reconstruction.

Chinese maritime activity has intensified, with five survey vessels operating in the north-west Pacific during major US-led exercises. Pacific analysts warn this undersea mapping may support future conflict planning.

In the UK, authorities are investigating whether Russia planted an incendiary parcel that ignited in a DHL warehouse, potentially linked to a similar case in Germany, part of a suspected GRU "mayhem" hybrid campaign.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth is joined by Bethany Alvaro to talk about all things Australia and cyber security!

The pair kick things off with some AI news. NVIDIA announced record earnings as the AI bubble steadfastly refuses to burst, and ChatGPT's curious new group chat feature.

Hollingworth and Alvaro then talk about cyber crime, with scammers gleefully preparing to take advantage of Black Friday sales, Optus getting pinged over falling afoul of anti-scam legislation, and the Brotherhood ransomware group claiming two Aussie hacks in just one day.

And we end on some good news. Australia, the UK, and the US have sanctioned a pair of Russian companies for providing a raft of services to hackers, and EU law enforcement actions have taken down more than a thousand malicious servers.

Enjoy, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Liam Garman, and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson unpack two unfolding challenges shaping Australia's strategic outlook, an Iran-linked cyber breach exposing sensitive defence data, and China's latest move to outmanoeuvre Canberra in the Pacific.

The discussion opens with the major cyber breach linked to Iran-aligned actors, exposing sensitive information from Australian defence programs through vulnerabilities in overseas contractors. Thompson warns that modern military platforms are now fully digital extensions of the network, and that the Australian Defence Force risks becoming collateral damage without stronger supply-chain defence.

The hosts then turn to the Pacific, where China has unveiled a record $86 million aid package to Vanuatu, a direct counter to the Albanese government's stalled security pact. Garman notes the diplomatic setback highlights the limits of Australia's traditional leverage, with Port Vila reluctant to jeopardise its economic ties with Beijing.

The conversation also covers China's commissioning of its first fully indigenous aircraft carrier, signalling a major step in Beijing's push for blue-water naval capability.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth catches up with Proofpoint's chief strategy officer, Ryan Kalember, and vice president of systems engineering for the APJ region, Adrian Covich, while attending the Proofpoint Protect Tour in Melbourne.

The three talk about the high-level trends and concerns they're seeing from CISOs both in Australia and abroad and the very real challenges of dealing with a fast-paced and ever-evolving threat landscape.

Enjoy the episode, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, host Liam Garman is joined by Lumify Work's lead cyber security instructor, Louis Cremen, for a talk about all things AI, from how best to protect sensitive data to managing AI governance.

The pair start things off with a discussion about how AI is rapidly transforming workplaces and how organisations must prioritise governance to protect data integrity and output decisions.

Cremen and Garman follow that up with a look at how attackers are leveraging AI to create highly personalised phishing, multilingual scams, convincing deepfakes and AI-assisted malware.

The pair finish up talking about the challenge of implementing fine-grained access controls, data provenance checks, and model testing and monitoring to detect prompt injection or poisoning.

Enjoy the episode, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, Daniel Croft and David Hollingworth talk about the latest AI news, the week in cyber crime, Tasmanian government breach woes, and Australia signing an important UN cyber crime treaty.

The pair kick things off with some AI news, including OpenAI opening up about how many of its users talk about their mental health challenges with the bot, and the company's latest move to create AI music.

Hollingworth and Croft then move on to cyber crime in Australia. A breach linked to vocational student management platform VETtrak has gotten several Tasmanian government agencies caught out, Anubis ransomware continues to be a horrible group of people, and the AFP stands up two new cyber crime taskforces.

Finally, some good news: the Australian government has said it will carve out protections for Australian artists wanting to protect their work from ravenous AI companies, and the UN has established a new cyber crime treaty.

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, Daniel Croft and David Hollingworth talk about the latest AI news, the week in cyber crime, an important Aussie merger, and how a Hollywood actor is reclaiming his identity.

The pair kick things off with some AI news, including Wikipedia woes, OpenAI's Atlas, and Yelp's new AI travel offering.

Hollingworth and Croft then move on to the latest in cyber crime on Australian shores, but not before exploring the merger of AUCyber and 5G Networks. Hollingworth also has an update on the Collins Aerospace hack, with the threat actor making some outrageous claims about what the company knew and when.

Finally, some good news, as actor Bryan Cranston wins a victory over OpenAI's use of his virtual likeness.

Enjoy the episode, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant, Liam Garman, and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson unpack how shifting defence alliances and Middle Eastern instability are reshaping national security.

The conversation opens with Australia's growing regional partnerships, including the Australia–Singapore cooperation agreement and the new defence pact with Papua New Guinea, and how they strengthen deterrence amid China's rising Pacific influence.

Thompson highlights the strategic value of Singapore's training operations in Shoalwater Bay and the expansion of joint science, technology, and logistics programs to bolster regional readiness.

The hosts then turn to the Middle East, discussing the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, Hamas' re-emergence and the potential for renewed conflict. Garman warns that unrest abroad can spill into domestic division, referencing protests in Sydney and the challenges of maintaining unity at home.

The discussion also touches on the return of ISIS brides to Australia, questioning how the government balances compassion, citizenship, and security.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, Daniel Croft and David Hollingworth touch on the latest in AI and how state governments are regulating its use, the Qantas leak and the 5 million people impacted, and we chat about major cyber attacks with SolarWinds CISO Tim Brown.

• Croft and Hollingworth begin by discussing the fight that CBA has ignited with the Finance Sector Union and former staff after they botched an AI rollout.
• The pair then discuss the massive Qantas hack, the 5 million people affected and the identity of the hackers behind it.
• The podcast then cuts to a chat between Hollingworth and SolarWinds' CISO, Tim Brown, who provides a deep insight as to what it's like being in the middle of a major cyber attack.
• Finally, the two discuss the social media age ban once again, with the government now having launched an education campaign.

Enjoy the episode, The Cyber Uncut team