The National Security Podcast

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham is joined by Jacob Shapiro to discuss some of the important geopolitical issues flying below the media radar.With the COVID-19 pandemic, China's rise fuelling tensions across the region, and unfolding chaos in the United States, this year could not be more action-packed for national security policymakers. Still, there are a number of other enormously important issues and trends in the world that barely get a mention. In this episode of National Security Podcast, we chat with Jacob Shapiro about the geopolitical issues that are changing the world. We discuss the breakdown of the global food supply, examine why previously tight relations between Latin American countries are breaking down, tackle whether peace is really breaking out in the Middle East, and ask what is Open-RAN?Jacob Shapiro is the Founder and Chief Strategist at Perch Perspectives Geopolitical Consulting. Prior to that, Jacob was a Senior Analyst at Geopolitical Futures and the Head of the Watch Officer Team at geopolitical intelligence firm Stratfor Worldview. Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this National Security Podcast, Head of National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf speaks with Ms Rachel Noble PSM, Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), about the history of signals intelligence in Australia, who ASD spies on and why, and adapting to new security threats.Signals intelligence has been an element of national security operations for as long as there has been warfare and competition. But how does an agency raised out of the Second World War adapt to the modern national security landscape? Has cybersecurity fundamentally altered the nature of Australian Signals Directorate (ASD)'s focus on intelligence collection and information protection? And with threats to Australia’s security emanating not only from international actors but also from Australians, at home and abroad, what role does ASD play in conducting surveillance on Australian citizens and where are the oversights to ensure that laws and personal privacies are not breached? As the second instalment in the National Security College’s 10th Anniversary series Head of College Professor Rory Medcalf talks to Ms Rachel Noble about these matters and more on this episode of the National Security Podcast.Ms Rachel Noble PSM is Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate. Prior to this, Rachel was the Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre.Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this National Security Podcast, Head of National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf speaks with Major General Duncan Lewis, former Director-General of Security at ASIO, about securing Australia in an age of disruption.Since 9/11, it has become clear to Australia’s leaders that developing a national security pedigree in the Australian Public Service was imperative to meeting the challenges of an age of deep strategic disruption. To open the National Security College’s 10th Anniversary Conversation Series, Professor Rory Medcalf talks with recently retired Major General Duncan Lewis, former Director-General of Security at the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and National Security Adviser under the Rudd government, about the decision to create the National Security College. They also cover the daunting tasks of national security policymakers as Australia faces a grim strategic environment, and some valuable lessons from a lifetime of service in Australia’s national security community.Major General Duncan Lewis AO DSC CSC is the recently retired Director-General of Security at ASIO and served as Australia’s National Security Adviser. In the Army, he was both the Special Air Service Regiment's Commanding Officer and Special Operations Commander Australia, commanding the Australian Defence Force’s Special Operations Command.Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted is joined by Alastair MacGibbon, Gai Brodtmann and Rory Medcalf to discuss Australia's recently released national Cyber Security Strategy.Released on 6 August, the Australian government released the 2020 Cyber Security Strategy. Citing the increased interconnectivity and reliance on the Internet as we transition to a digital society, a process supercharged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the document paints a daunting picture of a riskier and more uncertain landscape for national security. But does this strategy go far enough? In this National Security Podcast, the panel consider how the Strategy divides threats from nation states and criminal actors, and whether it communicates in a way that will speak to Australian society as a whole. We also ask whether the time has passed for refraining from naming those actors that threaten Australia’s cybersecurity. Gai Brodtmann is convenor of the National Security College’s Women In National Security conference, a member of Sapien Cyber’s advisory board, and a contributor to The Strategist. Gai is the former Member for Canberra and Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence Personnel.Alastair MacGibbon is Chief Strategy Officer at CyberCX and was National Cyber Security Adviser, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Cyber Security, Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner.Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.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.Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted is joined by AustCyber CEO Michelle Price to talk about the risks of putting blind faith in the digital devices we use to run our lives and businesses.What would happen if we lost our digital connections, or access to our data? Now that people and businesses rely on digital devices for all facets of modern life, can such a disruption be quantified in dollar terms? On this National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted is joined by AustCyber CEO Michelle Price tackle these questions and explore whether traditional modes of policy-making will continue to work in the digital age.  Michelle Price is AustCyber’s inaugural Chief Operating Officer, and was the first Senior Adviser for Cyber Security at the National Security College.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. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted speaks to Ali Wyne about why great powers compete, how China, Russia, and the United States are shaping the global system, and whether their behaviour is making the post-COVID-19 world more dangerous.Is competition between great powers destined to be fraught with the risk of conflict, or can it be a positive driver of global development? And how do middle powers view the future of their respective regions as the United States and China size each other up in the era of COVID-19? Katherine Mansted is joined by Ali Wyne to answer these questions and more on this episode of National Security Podcast.Ali Wyne is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and a nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute.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.We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we are joined by former Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence Gai Brodtmann, Head of the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre Brendan Sargeant, and Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College, to examine the details and meaning of Australia's recently unveiled 2020 Defence Strategy Update and Force Structure Plan.On 1 July, Australia officially updated its defence strategy with the 2020 Defence Strategy Update and Force Structure Plan. Citing the deterioration of its regional security environment and enhanced offensive capabilities among its potential adversaries, it calls for an upgrading of Australia's defence hardware. So, is offensive deterrence a new strategy for Australia, and could increased war-fighting capabilities drive an arms race in the region? The panel also ask which states may be the intended audience for this strategy update, and how likely the countries of the region may be to see increased Australian defence spending as a signal of intent.Gai Brodtmann is convenor of the National Security College’s Women In National Security conference, a member of Sapien Cyber’s advisory board, and a contributor to The Strategist. Gai is the former Member for Canberra and Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence Personnel.Professor Brendan Sargeant is Head of the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre and Professor of Practice in Defence and Strategic Studies. He is also a former Senior Executive with the Department of Defence, serving in roles such as Assistant Secretary, Deputy Secretary for Strategy, and Head of the Strategic Policy Division.Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.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.Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 16 June, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne delivered a policy address to the National Security College on Australia and the world in the time of COVID-19. Her remarks, and the following discussion of Australia's future in the region, make up this special episode of National Security Podcast.Is China using the COVID-19 crisis as a reason to spread disinformation about Australia, and how can international institutions, such as the World Health Organization, be safeguarded so that they can do their work without outside interference? In this episode, we host the foreign minister's speech on Australia's place in the world and COVID-19 and her discussion with Professor Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College. Senator the Hon Marise Payne is Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women in the Commonwealth Government. A Senator for New South Wales since 1997, she has more than two decades’ parliamentary experience including 12 years’ membership of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.Professor Rory Medcalf is head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of National Security Podcast, we speak with the Perth USAsia Centre's Dr Jeffrey Wilson about Australia's new investment measures and a shift toward caution in the face of foreign purchasing power.In recent years, many developed economies have been enhancing their foreign investment laws with a heightened focus on national security. On Friday 5 June, Australia announced that it would be following suit, introducing new screening measures to ensure foreign nationals and organisations would not endanger Australia by buying controlling stakes in sensitive areas of the economy. But what is driving this shift in the way countries view foreign investment, and why has Australia chosen now to readjust the way it understands its vulnerabilities and risks?Dr Jeffrey Wilson is Research Director at the Perth USAsia Centre. He provides leadership and strategic direction in developing the Centre’s research program across its publications, policy and dialogue activities. Jeffrey specialises in the regional economic integration of the Indo-Pacific and has particular expertise in the politics of trade agreements, regional economic institutions, and Australia’s economic ties with Asia.Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.