In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted is joined by Major General Marcus Thompson to discuss the nature of information warfare in the 21st century, and how it fits within Australia's broader defence mission.

In 2017, Australia formed its first Information Warfare Division (IWD) in the Department of Defence. Tasked with achieving information superiority over Australia’s adversaries and gaining an advantage which can be exploited in the traditional air, land, and sea domains, the IWD is headed up by Major General Marcus Thompson. Three years into its life, the IWD has overcome many challenges, but what threats and opportunities are on the horizon? Have COVID-19 and the recent bushfires changed public expectations about the role of the Australian Defence Force in helping with unconventional security threats at home? In this National Security Podcast, we will tackle these questions, and discuss whether there is a need for wider public discussion and awareness of the threat of cyber and information attacks.

Major General Marcus Thompson AM is Head of Information Warfare for the Australian Defence Force.

Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously, she was a commercial solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, a ministerial adviser to the federal government, and served as an Associate in the High Court of Australia.

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