Defence & Security Podcast Network

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, Aaron Bugal, field chief technology officer at Sophos, sits down with host Liam Garman to talk about the fight against ransomware, the growing threat to Australian businesses, and what can be done to tackle the problem.

The podcast opens with a discussion of ransomware trends and how cyber criminals choose their targets based on vulnerability and opportunity.

Bugal then expands on how AI is a tool both for malicious actors and cyber defenders and explains how Sophos is deploying AI to help businesses better protect themselves from an array of threats.

Garman and Bugal wrap up the podcast with some practical advice for Australian businesses and how they can prepare to face a critical cyber incident.

Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack the risk of alliance abandonment in the face of moves from the White House and their implications for a changing Asia-Pacific region.

• The podcast begins with an analysis into how fears of alliance abandonment have led to renewed commitments to national security collaboration between European powers.
• They then unpack whether "deal making" is a strong enough consideration to overcome ideological and philosophical partnerships in the competition for global power.
• Dr Thompson, Tarrant and Garman wrap up the podcast looking at hedging and balancing strategies in the Indo-Pacific, and whether realpolitik will take centre stage as nations continuously manoeuvre their alliance structures.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by former secretary of home affairs, Mike Pezzullo, to unpack the precedent established by Beijing's naval taskforce circumnavigating Australia and how to deal with more in the future.

The pair discuss a range of issues, including:

• The government's response to, and the timeline behind the notice of the Chinese naval taskforce's live-fire training exercises in the Tasman Sea.
• The tactical and strategic ramifications and shortfalls on display in the Australian Defence Force and government's response to the taskforce.
• A suggested crash course program to rapidly accelerate Australia's level of tactical and strategic preparedness within the next term of Parliament.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Graeme Bick and Ray Bright of QinetiQ Australia and Chris White of Australian Maritime College to discuss the importance of test and evaluation in the era of autonomous systems. The group discuss a range of timely matters, including:

• The experience and lessons gathered by QinetiQ and AMC in developing the policies, procedures and knowledge base through T&E across traditional defence platforms through to the advent and proliferation of autonomous systems.
• The history of the collaboration between QinetiQ and AMC and their history of advancing state-of-the-art T&E over a long period of time.
• The accelerating pace of technology, which has heightened Defence's emphasis on rapidly introducing new capabilities.
• The emergence of challenges and opportunities as a result of the integration of various military systems with increasingly complex AI-enabled autonomous systems.
• Balancing the need for faster testing while maintaining the same level of assurance remains a critical challenge.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, host David Hollingworth and journalist Daniel Croft talk about AI in Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), a horrible week for Aussie healthcare organisations, and unspeakable deepfake videos.

• Hollingworth and Croft begin by catching up on a report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute on the possible dangers posed by Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers adopting DeepSeek for in-car AI.
• The pair then run down the latest news in Australian cyber crime, with three healthcare organisations – including the fertility clinic Genea – getting targeted by hackers, and discuss the implications of medical data going public and the very real dangers it poses to patients.
• Then, to round out the week, Hollingworth and Croft try not to cry while talking about a ludicrous AI-generated video illustrating Donald Trump's holiday resort fantasy for Gaza and a horrifying deepfake of Trump and Elon Musk in an awkwardly intimate encounter.

Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Andrew Hastie, shadow minister for defence, to discuss the government's response to the recent "gunboat" diplomacy by China.

The pair also discuss the following:

• Is the government trying to keep the Australian public calm by talking down the actions of the Chinese naval task force currently off the east coast of Australia?
• Does the Australian Defence Force have the tools and resources it needs to stand up to a great power adversary, particularly following the changes in posture and focus by the US government?
• What are the steps we need to take in order to make Australia less susceptible to coercion by a great power and build our resilience and make sure that Australia isn't compromised in the event of conflict in the region?

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, host David Hollingworth and journalist Daniel Croft discuss the week that was with DeepSeek versus South Korea, the latest ransomware news, and two malware campaigns spreading their payloads via video games.

• Hollingworth and Croft open with what is becoming a regular chat about the trials and travails of Chinese AI DeepSeek, which this week violated South Korean data privacy laws. The pair also discuss Elon Musk's attempt to buy out OpenAI and his efforts to ban chat-up Signal on his X platform.
• Hollingworth then discusses how ransomware-as-a-service operations are driving a sharp increase in ransomware attacks. The pair then discuss some of the more alarming Australian hacks this week: the Australian National University and IVF clinic Genea.
• Finally, it's time to talk video games, with game distribution platform Steam pulling a game that was spreading an info stealer, and a seemingly Russian campaign that was installing crypto-mining malware via torrented games.

Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, host Liam Garman welcomes Cyber Daily's David Hollingworth, a cyber security expert and Cyber Uncut podcast host, to unpack the latest in hacking and cyber security in the new era of grey-zone warfare and nation-state cyber attacks.

They begin the podcast examining real world examples of warfare-motivated hacking, threat actors for hire, the impact of cyber threats and incidents for nations around the world.

They then discuss the differences between "smash-and-grab" ransomware attacks with persistent and embedded state-sponsored cyber attacks.

The podcast wraps up examining the increasing speed, accuracy and impact of cyber attacks on industry and government infrastructure across international lines.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Jennifer Parker, expert associate at the National Security College - Australian National University and a former Navy officer, to discuss the future of the Royal Australian Navy's surface fleet.

The pair discuss the recent debate about the utility of small missile boats in the Australian context and their applicability for the Royal Australian Navy.

The pair also discuss:

• China's recent deployment of a surface action group, currently operating 150 nautical miles off the coast of Sydney, and the challenges the Royal Australian Navy currently faces in responding to these subtle provocations.
• The growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific and increasing competition in our region, placing mounting pressure on the RAN to secure Australia's critical sea lines of communication and maritime trade.
• What options and avenues are open for the next Australian government to rapidly increase the Navy's capability while avoiding the trap of "silver bullet" capabilities that may leave us with a lopsided force.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, James Digges, Strategy and Growth - Naval at CAE Australia, joins host Liam Garman to discuss Australia's need for operational readiness and how training is fundamental to achieving the objectives laid out in the National Defence Strategy.

• They begin the podcast unpacking how to enhance operational readiness and how training must keep pace with the demands of integrated multi-domain warfare.
• Digges then dives into the world of interoperability and interchangeability in the modern defence environment, and how to deliver consistent training standards to address compatibility issues and grow a larger force.
• The podcast wraps up looking into the integrated and networked training environment, and how improved training can overcome constraints experienced by modern defence forces.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect Team