Defence & Security Podcast Network

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Natalie Treloar, Dr Carl Rhodes and Christine Leah, PhD, of the National Institute for Deterrence Studies.

The group discuss a range of topics, including:

• The evolution of deterrence theory throughout the Cold War and in the post-Cold War world as we face an era of great power competition.
• Australia's history of using deterrence-focused platforms without a coherent strategy of deterrence despite the plans outlined in the Defence Strategic Review and National Defence Strategy.
• The future of Australia's deterrence capabilities and how to expand the public understanding of deterrence as a "whole-of-nation" effort with benefits for all Australians.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, Noel Derwort, Executive General Manager – Advisory for Atturra, joins host Liam Garman to discuss how Atturra is embracing diversity of thought to deliver efficiencies for Defence, and how the company offers a truly sovereign capability for the ADF.

• The pair begin the podcast examining how Atturra supports the defence ecosystem, and how the company employs lessons and synergies from across Australian industry to support the ADF.
• Derwort then advises that governments and consultants rethink the consulting process, advising against acquiring technology for technology's sake – which can create more problems than solutions.
• They wrap up the podcast examining how Atturra is overcoming workforce challenges, employing both veterans and individuals from non-traditional backgrounds to draw on diversity of thought, before defining what true sovereignty means.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, Ventia's Melanie Evans, group executive/CIO - digital services, and John Parisella, general manager transformation - defence, join host Liam Garman to unpack how Ventia's new and emerging data-driven capabilities are supporting decision making in Defence.

• Evans and Parisella begin the podcast discussing how Ventia is transforming Defence asset management, including creating digital twins for Defence capabilities the right way through from ships to monitor upkeep to remote Defence assets to maximise workforce outputs.
• They then unpack their practical approach to data-driven decision making, including the practical application of artificial intelligence to streamline internal policy making.
• Evans, Parisella, and Garman wrap up the podcast looking at emerging technologies, including predictive analytics to ensure the efficient use of Defence assets.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson, inaugural head of the ADF's Information Warfare Division, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack the importance of long-range strike as a deterrent and how Australia is uplifting its cyber and information warfare capabilities.

• MAJGEN (Ret'd) Thompson begins unpacking the benefits of establishing the ADF's Cyber Command, drawing together the cyber capabilities of each of the services and enhancing the integrated force's warfighting effects.
• They then examine Iran's cyber operations against the Republican Party in the US, and whether Australia and the US should consider expanding ANZUS.
• The trio then discuss the acquisition of the B21 to provide redundancy as Australia procures nuclear-powered submarines and the need to develop clear doctrine across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Defence Connect podcast, Steve Kuper, Robert Dougherty and Liam Garman unpack Ukraine's Kursk offensive, Australia's exposure to global economic headwinds and Iran's mooted response to Israel's assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

The podcast commences with an analysis of Ukraine's offensive in Kursk, before examining whether the sanctions have had the desired effect on Russia's economy.

Kuper, Dougherty and Garman then assess how a growing axis of authoritarianism is creating a parallel global economy, and whether Australia would have the means to survive economic headwinds if it experienced a sharp decrease in commodity demand.

The podcast wraps up discussing Iran's mooted response to Haniyeh's assassination, and how actors would respond to regional conflict.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Spotlight podcast, Graeme Bick, global test and evaluation campaign chief solution architect at QinetiQ, and Adjunct Associate Professor Dr Keith Joiner, engineering management and systems engineering at Old Dominion University, join host Liam Garman to discuss how T&E, certification, and systems assurance are essential for the delivery of Defence capabilities.

• The trio begin the podcast unpacking how industry needs to adapt how it undertakes T&E as Defence embarks on an era of rapid modernisation, and those impediments facing T&E in Australia.
• Bick and Dr Joiner then discuss areas for improvement in the Australian T&E workforce, and how academia and industry can work together to ameliorate workforce constraints.
• They wrap up looking at how education providers can train Australia's future T&E workforce, and how the Defence Capability Assurance and Oversight Bill will help Defence and industry.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Contested Ground podcast, where hosts Major General (Ret'd) Marcus Thompson, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack how nations vie for influence below the threshold of armed conflict.

• In this episode, the hosts unpack how foreign actors sought to stoke tensions during the recent English riots and how social media echo chambers have caused a deep division in society.
• The hosts then look closer to home and how the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) recently raised Australia's terror threat level, analysing a range of factors that have contributed to this, including how communities responded to the 7 October attacks in Israel.
• They wrap up the podcast debating whether the government and police should monitor speech online, and to what extent.

Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of Cyber Uncut, James Blake, head of global cyber resiliency strategy at Cohesity, joins host Liam Garman to discuss how businesses can respond to destructive ransomware and wiper attacks – and why chief information security officers (CISOs) should perceive backups as a secret weapon in the fight against malicious actors.

• The pair begin the podcast by analysing what the new-era ransomware and wiper attacks look like and how they can stop a business – even in critical industries – from delivering for their clients.
• Blake then unpacks the challenges behind incident containment before diving into Cohesity's recent research, which showed alarming statistics on the number of Australian businesses that have paid ransoms.
• The pair wrap up the podcast by discussing how businesses must leverage backups in order to ensure business continuity, as Blake explains why backups are a CISO's secret weapon in the war against malicious actors.

Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by Dr Ross Babbage, CEO of Strategic Forum and senior non-resident fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. The pair begin their conversation discussing the origins of Dr Babbage's report for the Lowy Institute, Deterrence and alliance power: Why the AUKUS submarines matter and how they can be delivered. The pair also discuss:

• Some of the concerns in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom around delivering the future SSN-AUKUS fleet.
• The risk/reward opportunity available to Australia as part of the generational nation-building program AUKUS represents.
• Setting the record straight on some of the misconceptions and focal points that dominate the national conversation about AUKUS.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, the 2024 Western Australian AgriFutures Rural Women's Award winner, Mandy Walker, joins senior journalist Robert Dougherty to discuss new ways to integrate regional businesses into the defence supply chain to resist seasonal challenges in Australia.

• The pair discuss the 2024 WA AgriFutures Rural Women's Award, the national finals, and working in Western Australia.
• Walker, co-manager of Walkers Diesel Services, then explains a new initiative expected to pave the way for regional engineering businesses to participate in the defence industry supply chain.
• Walker and Dougherty wrap up the podcast by looking at decision making in Western Australia and her plans to win the national AgriFutures award.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team