Defence & Security Podcast Network

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 special episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by the co-founder and CEO of Anduril Industries, Brian Schimpf, as they talk about building an allied industrial base and the intricacies involved.

Recorded live at Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition 2025, the pair also discuss a range of subjects, including:

• The mechanics behind developing and implementing a comprehensive industry policy in a developed nation.
• The lessons of pre-Second World War industrialisation in the United States and the lessons learned through the "New Deal" that helped secure Allied victory.
• The myths about the role of automation in contemporary manufacturing and the role of skilled humans in and on the loop when it comes to modern, high-end, mass manufacturing.
• Designing capabilities and technologies from the ground up to be built en masse, via an IKEA-style approach.
• The scale and scope of Anduril's Arsenal-1 factory, currently under construction in Ohio.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Leighton Freene and Murray Thompson of Kinetic IT as they unpack the mechanics shaping the digital transformation of the Australian Defence Force.

The trio also discuss a range of subjects, including:

• The pivotal role of digital technologies as the backbone of the ADF's shift towards an increasingly information-driven, technology-enabled "integrated, focused force".
• The growing complexities, opportunities and risks stemming from cloud computing and artificial intelligence – not only in their military and industrial applications but also in how they are exploited by adversaries across all five warfighting domains.
• Defence's ongoing digital transformation and the sheer scale of what is required to build, secure and sustain the systems that will be critical to preserving Australia's qualitative edge in an era of great-power competition.
• The rising importance of strong cyber hygiene across Defence, industry and the broader national security community, including disciplined identity management, multi-factor authentication, secure-by-design software development, routine patching, strict access controls and a culture that treats cyber security as a collective responsibility rather than a technical add-on.
• How strengthening cyber hygiene at every level – from defence SMEs to prime contractors, uniformed personnel to senior decision makers – is becoming essential to hardening the digital backbone of the ADF and safeguarding Australia's most sensitive capabilities from compromise.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect 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 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

What does it mean to lead with honesty, show vulnerability, and embrace your authentic self – even when life feels chaotic? In this episode of The Progress Report, host Tash Taylor sits down with Rebecca Woolnough, area manager - Oceania for SMART Technologies, to unpack what true resilience and self-leadership look like beyond the polished titles and structured systems.

From navigating self-doubt and impostor moments to learning how to "be the hurricane", Bec shares a refreshingly raw and honest reflection on leadership, motherhood, and maintaining identity amid constant pressure. The conversation explores everything from women's evolving roles in Defence to the mental load of balancing career, family, and self-worth.

Through laughter, humility, and insight, Beck opens up about the moments that nearly broke her – and how those same moments built her into the leader she is today. She reminds us that progress isn't about perfection or control, but about showing up fully as yourself, even when the storm hits.

The Progress Report. New voices. Real stories. Big shifts.

Enjoy the podcast, The Progress Report team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Tim West, John Hillsdon and Mohammad Siddique from DXC Technology to unpack the digital transformation of the Australian Defence Force.

Together they discuss a range of topics, including:

• The central role of digital technologies as the backbone of the increasingly information and technology-driven "integrated, focused force" that the ADF is becoming.
• The complexities, opportunities and challenges emerging from cloud computing and artificial intelligence both in friendly and adversarial use across the five warfighting domains.
• The digital transformation of Defence and the scale and scope of what will be fundamentally essential to enhance and maintain Australia's qualitative edge against adversaries in the era of great-power competition.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect 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 podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, host Robert Dougherty sits down with PentenAmio executive co-chair Matthew Wilson to discuss the rapidly evolving world of secure communications.

The pair examine the redefined world of sovereign capability in secure mobile communications, artificial intelligence-enabled cyber defence and electronic deception technologies.

In the lead-up to the Military Communications and Information Systems Conference 2025 and the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition 2025, the pair assess the need to embrace mobile-first resilience and depth of collaboration between industry, government and Defence to strengthen national strategy.

They also discuss:

• The historic merger of Penten and Amiosec earlier this year and the company's new strategic position.
• Secure Mobility and its critical role in today's government and defence industry context.
• How effective collaboration between government, defence and industry can deliver sovereign, usable solutions that meet emerging national security challenges.

Finally, the pair close out the podcast announcing a commemorative sculpture installation at the Defence Force School of Signals, in recognition of the fine work performed by Australian Defence Force signals personnel.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Zac Smith of Leidos Australia and Dr Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute to unpack the role of AUKUS Pillar 2 and the future of the Australian Defence Force.

The trio discuss a range of topics as they navigate the still murky world of AUKUS Pillar 2 and what it means for the future of the Australian Defence Force, including:

• The need for AUKUS partners to focus their efforts in supporting the commercialisation of novel technologies to accelerate the delivery of critical warfighting capability.
• The role of competitive pressure from potential adversaries as they seek to develop and field next-generation capabilities across the warfighting domains.
• The impact of the US Global Posture Review and its impact on Australia's defence industry and the future of the ADF in the era of great-power competition.
• Future predictions about the trends that are shaping both allied and adversarial defence and technology developments.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team