Cyber Security Awareness Month | Four Urgent Actions to Create a Security Culture & Protect Your Organisation

Looking back on Cyber Security Awareness month, it’s clear that we need to take action against threats at an organisation-wide level.

It’s Cyber Security Awareness Month, and unfortunately, cyber-attacks are on the rise in Australia, as they are across the globe. The latest annual report from ACSC – Australian Cyber Security Centre – found a 13% increase in cybercrime incidents representing yearly losses totalling AU$33 billion. 

Some headline-making recent attacks on larger Australian organisations actually occurred during Cyber Security Awareness Month, a timely reminder that we all need to remain vigilant. Mere compliance with basic data security guidelines isn’t enough in the current climate. 

To properly protect our online ecosystems we need to act urgently on the four pillars of cyber security preparedness

Threat modelling is the foundation of cyber security

Information security experts can analyse an organisation and determine from past experience what kinds of attacks are most likely and the vectors that display the greatest vulnerability. 

Cyber-attacks take many forms and come from a wide range of different sources. Understanding what specific threats your organisation is most likely to face means you can take a strategic approach to defence, rather than just throwing resources into a generalised defence and crossing your fingers. Threat modelling is the process involved in establishing these key defensive priorities.  

Ultimately, effective cyber security demands a comprehensive, multi-layered approach. But, using threat modelling, we can make good tactical choices about which vulnerabilities we address first, and how we allocate resources to have the greatest positive effect.

Human vulnerabilities in your organisation can be catastrophic

Not everyone in your organisation is cyber security savvy. Most people assume that if they have basic “virus protection” software installed on their computer then they’re beyond the reach of cyber-attacks. Unfortunately, the reality is very different. People are often the unwitting vectors for destructive cyber incursions. It was the simple mistake of clicking a link in a malicious email that landed the Clinton election campaign boss, John Podesta, in hot water in 2016. From that one simple human error erupted a major cybercrime attack and a damaging political scandal.

Thinking defensively about protecting the people in your office from phishing and hacking attacks can make a crucial difference, but it means making positive changes in your organisational culture as well as your technology. We need to start addressing cyber security as a whole-of-business challenge, rather than just relegating the problem to the IT department. 

Communication, planning and active cyber security training are essential first steps. Do your team members know what to look for to identify suspect emails? Are they in the habit of thinking twice before clicking on links? These are the sort of basic educational outcomes to strive for. 

You can learn more about creating a healthy cyber security culture in your organisation by reading this article: 3 reasons your largest cyber threat is within your organisation – and what to do about it! 

Of course, having a rigorous backup system and response plan is still essential. Cyber attacks do happen, no matter how careful we are, so having failsafe measures in place is vital.

Practice your incident response plan

Drafting a comprehensive cyber security response plan is an essential basic step, but like any plan, it’s only as good as the amount of time you spend educating your team about it and practising. That’s why we do fire drills; putting a memo up on the wall doesn’t mean much when the building is burning down around you. Everyone needs to understand what they need to do in an emergency, and practice so that they feel confident it will work.

To make a cyber security response plan work, we need to conduct regular reviews so that it doesn’t get out of date. Make sure you do regular training activities, too. Over time teams change, and anyway, people are more likely to remember what they need to do if their training is fresh in their minds. 

I can’t stress enough how important it is to educate your team about the cybercrime threats the organisation faces, as well as their role in defence. The magnitude and severity of cybercrime consequences are surprising for most people outside the security industry. If people understand that the very survival of the company they work for can depend on their online behaviour, they are much more likely to take the threat seriously. Encourage your team members to feel empowered as well as responsible, and make sure there are established communication channels for incident reporting so that vital intel finds its way to the security team before it’s too late.

Technology strategy: think before you buy

There’s a widely held misconception that the answer to all cyber security challenges is more and better technology. There are thousands of software companies building their business model on promoting this idea, so it’s no wonder many people seem to think that throwing money at the problem is a real solution.

Before you invest in a new cyber security platform, tool or service, make sure it can really address the specific problems faced by your organisation. Do you need it? Or can you simply use the tools you already have to better effect? 

Does your technology portfolio integrate properly to give a complete umbrella of protection? Is that defensive perimeter multi-layered, or are you hanging all your hopes on a single product? These are the sort of questions that anyone responsible for cybersecurity decisions should be asking themselves. Technology can give a false sense of security. Putting a shiny software package in place, and ticking boxes on a compliance sheet will feel satisfying, but without continuous maintenance and review, no security measures will stay effective for long.

Digital trust: what is it and why is it so important?

All our efforts as cyber security-conscious people are directed toward the ultimate goal of digital trust. This concept – digital trust – is a culture of reliability and resilience that acts as a cohesive productive force within an organisation and then extends outward to embrace all our users, customers & partners.

As Forbes recently reminded us, consumers and people, in general, are “more worried than ever about the privacy of their sensitive data.” We only need to look at the disastrous hacking events that have hit high-profile Australian businesses in recent weeks to see what happens when digital trust is broken. There’s nothing in the world we live in today that can hurt an organisation like the perception that it can’t be trusted with people’s sensitive data. When cybercrime hits an organisation it’s an irrevocable blow to reputation, business value and future earnings alike; not to mention the adverse effects on the broader economy and consumer confidence.

Let’s celebrate Cyber Security Awareness Month 2022 by making a commitment to being better online citizens. If we plan carefully and involve every member of our teams in the project of cyber resilience, we can turn around the cyber attack trend.

Take the first step toward cyber attack resilience now: talk to a Sekuro expert and set your security strategy in motion.


Jason Trampevski

Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Sekuro

Jason is a strategic technology leader dedicated to helping organisations achieve their goals through the effective use of technology. His expertise lies in building resilience and driving business success. As a specialist in transforming complex business requirements into streamlined technology solutions, his focus lies in harmonising the essential components of people, processes, and technology to empower organisations to maintain agility and competitiveness in today's rapidly evolving digital world.

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Aidan Tudehope

Co-Founder of Macquarie Technology

Aidan Tudehope, Co-Founder of Macquarie Technology

Aidan is co-founder of Macquarie Telecom and has been a director since 1992. He is the Managing Director of Macquarie Government & Hosting Group with a focus on business growth, cyber security and customer satisfaction. 

Aidan has been responsible for the strategy and execution of the investment in Intellicentre 4 & 5 Bunkers, Macquarie Government’s own purpose-built Canberra data centre campus. This facility is leveraged to deliver Secure Cloud Services and Secure Internet Gateway.

With a unique pan-government view on the cyber security landscape, we are invested in leading the contribution from the Australian industry on all matters Cyber policy related.

Aidan holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree.

James Ng

CISO, Insignia Financial

James Ng, CISO, Insignia Financial

James is a leader with a range of experience across various cyber security, technology risk and audit domains, bringing a global lens across a diverse background in financial services, telecommunications, entertainment, consulting and FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). He is currently the General Manager – Cyber Security at Insignia Financial and most recently was at AARNet (Australia’s Academic and Research Network) where he oversaw a managed Security Operations Centre (SOC) capability for Australian universities. Prior to this James was the acting Chief Information Security Officer for Belong and led the cyber governance and risk team at Telstra.

Noel Allnutt

CEO, Sekuro

Noel Allnutt CEO | Sekuro

Noel is a driven and award-winning IT leader. He has a passion for developing great teams and accelerating client innovation, and in enabling organisations to create a secure and sustainable competitive advantage in the digital economy. Noel also hosts the ‘Building Resilience Podcast,’ which explores the world of sport and deconstructs the tools and ethos of world-class athletes that can help create growth and optimise business and life.

Audrey Jacquemart

Bid Manager, Sekuro

Audrey Jacquemart, Bid Manager, Sekuro

Audrey is an innovative cybersecurity professional with a versatile profile spanning across Product Management, Presales and Delivery. She has worked within organisations from start-ups to large international organisations in Europe and APAC before joining Sekuro.

Nicolas Brahim

Principal Consultant, CRP and OT

Nicolas Brahim, Principal Consultant, CRP and OT

Nico leads Sekuro’s Cyber Resilience Program and OT Cybersecurity, ensuring continuous support and effective program execution for our clients. With over a decade in the security industry, including the creation and leadership of several Security Programs for IT and OT across Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and the US, his core philosophy emphasises an equal balance of people, process, and technology in delivering actionable and simple solutions.

Trent Jerome

Chief Financial Officer, Sekuro

Trent Jerome

Trent is a seasoned CFO with over 30 years’ experience in Finance. Trent has broad experiences across Capital raises, debt financing, M&A and business transformation. He is a CPA and member of AICD. Trent works with Boards around risk and risk mitigation plans and assists Boards in navigating the risk mitigation versus cost conversation.

Ada Guan

CEO and Board Director, Rich Data Co

Ada Guan, CEO and Board Director, Rich Data Co

Ada is the CEO and Co-founder of Rich Data Co (RDC). RDC AI Decisioning platform provides banks the ability to make high-quality business and commercial lending decisions efficiently and safely. With over 20 years of global experience in financial services, software, and retail industries, Ada is passionate about driving financial inclusion at a global scale.

Before launching RDC in 2016, Ada led a Global Client Advisor team at Oracle Corporation, where she advised Board and C-level executives in some of the largest banks globally on digital disruption and fintech strategy. She also drove Oracle’s thought leadership in banking digital transformation for Global Key Accounts. Previously, Ada implemented a multi-million dollar program to deliver a mission-critical services layer for Westpac Bank in Australia and formulated the IT strategy that was the basis of an $800m investment program to transform Westpac’s Product and Operation division and complete the merger with St. George Bank. Ada is an INSEAD certified international director and holds an EMBA from the Australia Graduate School of Management, and a Master of Computer Engineering from the University of New South Wales, Australia. She also graduated from the Executive Insight Program at Michigan University Ross Business School and IESE Business School.

Megan Motto

Chief Executive Officer, Governance Institute of Australia

Megan Motto, CEO, Governance Institute of Australia

Megan Motto is Chief Executive Officer of Governance Institute of Australia, a national education provider, professional association and leading authority on governance and risk management. The Institute advocates on behalf of professionals from the listed, unlisted, public and not-for profit sectors.

Megan has over 25 years of experience with large associations, as a former CEO of Consult Australia, as well as holding significant positions in Australia’s built environment sector and business chambers.

She is currently a director of Standards Australia, a member of the ASIC Corporate Governance Consultative Panel and a councillor of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) where she chairs the Data, Digital and Cyber Security Forum.

Megan’s expertise spans governance, risk management, public policy and education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education, a Masters of Communication Management and a Graduate Diploma of Corporate Governance and Risk Management. She is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, the Chartered Governance Institute and the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is also a member of Chief Executive Women. Megan is also an Honorary Life Trustee of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) and was a 2014 recipient of the AFR/Westpac 100 Women of Influence.

Shamane Tan

Chief Growth Officer, Sekuro

Shamane Tan, Chief Growth Officer, Sekuro

Sekuro’s Chief Growth Officer, Shamane Tan, is passionate about uniting minds and experiences, excelling in aligning C-Suite and Board members with cyber security imperatives. As the author of “Cyber Risk Leaders,” she unravels executive communication nuances and distils C-Suite expectations. 

Her work extends to “Cyber Mayday and the Day After,” a roadmap for navigating crises by mining the wisdom of C-level executives from around the globe. It’s filled with interviews with managers and leaders who’ve braved the crucible and lived to tell the tale. Her most recent book, “Building a Cyber Resilience: A Cyber Handbook for Executives and Boards,” was featured on Forbes Australia’s top list of books for CEOs. 

Shamane has also founded a transcontinental cyber risk and executive meetup spanning Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Singapore, the Philippines, and Tokyo, fostering mentorship, women’s empowerment and thought leadership. As a strong advocate for the importance of having a voice and helping others use theirs, Shamane Tan has spoken at TEDx and global conferences, including FS-ISAC, RSA, Silicon Valley, Fortune 500 and ASX companies. 

Recipient of the IFSEC Global Top 20 Cybersecurity Influencer award and named among the 40 under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians, Shamane leverages her unique fusion of technical prowess and business acumen to help organisations progress on their security maturity journey.

David Gee

David Gee, CIO, CISO, NED, Board Advisor & Author

 

David Gee, CIO, CISO, NED, Board Advisor & Author

David has just retired in July 2024 and is building out his portfolio. He is an Advisor with Bain Advisory Network and also an Advisor to JS Careers (Cyber Recruitment) and Emertel (Software Commercialisation).

He is a seasoned technology executive with significant experience and has over 25 years’ experience in CIO and CISO roles across different industries and countries. At Macquarie Group David served as Global Head Technology, Cyber and Data Risk. Previously was CISO for HSBC Asia Pacific. His career as a CIO spans across multiple industries and geographies including – Metlife, Eli Lilly and Credit Union Australia. He was winner CIO of the Year 2014, at CUA where he successfully completed a significant Transformation of Core Banking, Online and Mobile Banking systems.

David is past Chairman for the FS-ISAC Strategy Committee and awarded Global Leaders Award in 2023 for his contributions to the cyber security industry. A regular conference keynote speaker and 150+ published articles for CIO Australia, Computerworld, iTnews and CSO (Cyber Security), David now writes for Foundry CIO.com and AICD.

His most recent book – the Aspiring CIO & CISO was published in June 2024 and David is writing his second – A Day in the Life of a CISO with a number of CISOs from around the world for 2025.

Naomi Simson

Co-founder, Big Red Group and Former Shark Tank Judge

Naomi Simson, Co-founder, Big Red Group

INTRODUCTION

For 25 years as an entrepreneur, Naomi Simson has been bringing people together whether it’s with her business experience, her speaking or writing. Passionate about small business and local community, Naomi is considered a home grown success story.

Naomi had a corporate career with Apple, KPMG, IBM and Ansett Australia prior to becoming an entrepreneur. She is a prolific blogger, podcaster and business commentator, and appeared as the #RedShark in four seasons of Shark Tank Australia and she appears regularly on ABC The Drum. She is a non-executive director at Big Red Group, Australian Payments Plus, Colonial First State and Weebit Nano, as well as the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation and the University of Melbourne Business and Economics Faculty.

A true business leader and influencer, with more than 2.7 million LinkedIn followers, Naomi is Australia’s most followed person on the business networking platform. She has four seasons of her podcast ‘Handpicked’, and she has authored two best-selling books Live What You Love, and Ready to Soar, and is sought after speaker.

FULL BIO

For 25 years Naomi has been bringing people together whether it’s with her business experience, her speaking or writing. She is a strong advocate of business owners.

Known as an entrepreneur and business leader; following the growth of RedBalloon which she founded in 2001, Naomi co-founded the Big Red Group (BRG) in 2017.

Naomi had a corporate career with Apple, KPMG, IBM and Ansett Australia prior to becoming an entrepreneur. She is a prolific blogger, podcaster and business commentator, and appeared as the #RedShark in four seasons of Shark Tank Australia. She is a non-executive director at Big Red Group, Australian Payments Plus, Colonial First State and Weebit Nano. As well as the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation and the University of Melbourne Business and Economics Faculty.

A true business leader and influencer, with more than 2.7 million LinkedIn followers, Naomi is Australia’s most followed person on the business networking platform. She has authored two best-selling books Live What You Love, and Ready to Soar, and is an engaging, humorous and insightful speaker. She has four seasons of her Podcast – Handpicked.

Naomi is relatable across a broad variety of audiences and topics, often drawing on her personal experiences to provide thoughtful and valuable views into topics; including the customer obsession, intentional leadership, growth mindset, personal development. She is a regular panellist on ABC The Drum.

Peter Ngo

Product Line Manager, Global Certifications, Palo Alto Networks

Peter Ngo | Sekuro

Peter leads the Commercial Cloud, Global Certifications organisation at Palo Alto Networks which oversees global cloud security compliance efforts to various frameworks and standards including IRAP, SOC 2, ISO, PCI, C5, ISMAP, and IRAP and more for 25+ cloud products.

He has held many roles over the years covering areas of IT Operations, and Governance, Risk, & Compliance (GRC) for a wide range of industries including technology, insurance, and manufacturing.

Peter holds various security and professional certifications, including the CCSP, CISSP, PCI ISA, CISA, CISM, CDPSE & ISO Lead Auditor, in addition to a Master of Science degree in Information Assurance. 

Jack Cross

CISO, QUT

Jack Cross | Sekuro

Jack Cross is an experienced business leader with expertise in digital technologies and risk management. Through a steadfast commitment to integrating people, processes, and technology, he champions the fight against cyber threats while mitigating organisational risks. 

Over the past 15 years, Jack has navigated diverse leadership roles within the Defence and Education sectors, honing his skills in steering multidisciplinary teams through intricate and sensitive technical landscapes. In addition to this experience, he holds numerous formal qualifications such as: a Master of Systems Engineering (Electronic Warfare); CISSP; and CISM certifications.

Nadene Serman

Global CTO, Infotrack

Nadene Serman | Sekuro

Nadene Serman is a leading IT executive with a proven track record spearheading first-of-its-kind technology and business transformation for some of the most prominent organisations globally and in Australia. As the Global Chief Technology Officer of InfoTrack, she is a key protagonist of innovation as an enabler of InfoTrack’s next stage growth. Her energy, commercial acuity and strategic capability have fueled her success.

Nadene leads with clarity, transparency and urgency, uniting people in complex, multi-layered technology and business execution, and go-to-market transformation and innovation. She tackles and resolves complex and seemingly intractable challenges while building support and collaboration – even in times of crisis. Her people-first, ‘think straight, talk straight’ approach makes her a formidable force.

John Doe

President Great Technology

Cyber Resilience Program | Sekuro

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