Cyber Uncut

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, Michael Mestrovich, chief information security officer at data security firm Rubrik, joins host Liam Garman to examine the nature of modern cyber security threats, how much easier it is to become a cyber criminal, and keeping up with changing regulations. The pair begin the podcast with a discussion on the evolution of ransomware and the intersection of state financially motivated cyber crime. Mestrovich and Garman then examine the role of zero trust as the backbone of cyber security and the importance of cyber resilience. The podcast wraps up with a deep dive into data security posture management and looks at some of the challenges the sector will to face in the coming years. Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Phil Tarrant and Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson are joined by Dr David Kilcullen, former diplomat and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency senior research scientist, to discuss the moving evolution of conflict, tactics and military technology. The trio begin by discussing elements of complex warfare, how predictions change over time and the differences in warfare over the last 25 years. They also discuss the tactics and technologies of past and current conflicts, including those in use in Europe and the Middle East. Finally, they discuss the nature of resilience, innovation and technological expertise in current soldiery within defence forces and greater society. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, hosts David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft detail multiple Australian hacks, theft of frequent flyer points, LockBit striking back, and the launch of the Australian Cyber Network. Croft gets things started with a rundown of Australia’s first standalone cyber security legislation before outlining a recent insider threat incident that saw the passports of Qantas customers potentially exposed in a scheme to steal frequent flyer points. Hollingworth then follows up with the LockBit claiming a new Australian victim and the rise of a new ransomware gang, Sarcoma – which has already listed three Aussie companies and one Kiwi firm. Finally, the pair discuss the Australian Cyber Network’s launch and the importance of growing our cyber security workforce, before finishing up discussing a new Russian attempt to ban gaming chat platform Discord. Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, hosts David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft detail multiple recent law enforcement operations that have made a considerable dent in criminal and cyber criminal activity around the world. Croft opens the podcast with the most recent developments in law enforcement’s efforts to tackle the LockBit ransomware gang, with four arrests made and sanctions placed against one of the gang’s major affiliates. Hollingworth then details the incredible story of the Australian Federal Police’s Operation Kraken, an investigation into the Ghost criminal messaging network, which it turns out was – allegedly – run by an Aussie! He’s now been arrested, and a lot of other criminals besides. The pair wrap up with news of charges being laid by the US Department of Justice against Iranian hackers, and they offer some simple but important advice as part of Cyber Security Awareness Month. Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and how state actors disrupt their non-state adversaries. The podcast begins with an analysis into the fragility of supply chains, examining the pager attack, and how adversaries can conduct espionage through acquisition. They then discuss strategies at disrupting non-state adversaries, including whether a decapitation strategy would work for Hezbollah in spite of its failure to disrupt irregular forces elsewhere. The podcast also examines the division that this represents in Australia, with announcements that the Australian Federal Police will go after those waving Hezbollah flags. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, hosts Liam Garman and Daniel Croft unpack new “safe habour” protections unveiled by the federal government, before looking into some recent hacks and controversy surrounding artificial intelligence. The pair begin the podcast examining the new “safe harbour” protections unveiled by Minister for Cyber Security Tony Burke, and how it will help information gathering for law enforcement agencies. They then examine the recent Total Tools breach, before diving into the risk of credential stuffing. Croft and Garman wrap up the podcast discussing poor AI implementation in business following the Melbourne mayor’s AI-generated imagery fiasco. Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman invite Major General (Ret’d) Gus McLachlan back for a follow-up podcast, unpacking irregular warfare, information operations and military modernisation.  They begin the podcast discussing Russia’s “little green men” during the invasion of 2014, and how Russian units were able to take over swathes of Eastern Ukraine.  MAJGEN (Ret’d) McLachlan then unpacks his priorities in uniform in modernising the Australian Defence Force. The podcast then examines how two Russian nations were charged with laundering money to spread disinformation ahead of the US presidential election.  Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Joe Hockey, former Australian ambassador to the United States, joins hosts Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Marcus Thompson and Steve Kuper to discuss the continued importance of the Australia–US relationship. The trio begin by discussing the fallout of the latest presidential debate between contenders, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, touching on the implications for the bilateral relationship. They also discuss the role of grey zone warfare and information warfare efforts in the upcoming election and how they may shape the outcome. Finally, they discuss the importance of the partnership in helping Australia reindustrialise and build a truly sovereign defence industrial base, with a pathway forward to establishing an integrated Australian prime. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Andrew Hastie MP, shadow minister for defence and shadow minister for defence industry, joins hosts Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman to discuss how Australia must develop sovereign capability amid growing geopolitical uncertainty. The trio begin the podcast discussing how Australia needs to support Defence SMEs to deliver sovereign capability amid rising political uncertainty before looking into additional uses of Australia’s special forces capabilities. The shadow minister then discusses how decision makers must clearly articulate the grey zone and kinetic risks that Australia faces, and outlines what some of his key objectives would be in government. The podcast wraps up discussing Ukraine’s continued fight for freedom. Enjoy the podcast, The Contested Ground team

In this episode of Cyber Uncut, host David Hollingworth is joined by Daniel Croft to unpack the week in cyber security. From hacks abroad and closer to home, the changing tactics of the once prolific LockBit ransomware gang, to new Australian laws introduced to protect our privacy and stop the spread of misinformation, the pair cover a lot of ground and try to find a bright spot in the Australian Federal Police (AFP) looking to mentor neurodivergent into a career in cyber security. Croft talks about a disclosure by the third-largest cyber security firm in the world, Fortinet, with the company revealing that a malicious actor accessed a third-party repository, while closer to home, the RansomHub gang posts a trove of customer data stolen from a New Zealand accounting firm. The pair also discuss sneaky new “data duplication” tactics being used by LockBit, where it takes an old leak and threatens victims a second time. Then Hollingworth and Croft discuss new government regulations boosting the powers of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) while pondering the scope of coming to grips with the social media giants before closing a brighter note, praising the AFP for its neurodivergent mentoring program. Enjoy the podcast, The Cyber Uncut team