Tara Whitehead is Security Engagement Manager at MYOB. Prior to becoming a cybersecurity specialist, Tara had an eclectic career, including working in advertising and international relations. In this episode Tara chats with Cole about how her non-technical background has in many ways been an asset working in security, leading change management in large enterprises, the importance of great communication skills, and plenty more. Secured by Galah Cyber website Timecodes 7:15 - Tara's first days in AppSec 10:00 - How to influence people 12:30 - Why we should dial back on the doomsday con ..read more

Episode summary Daniel Grzelak is currently the Chief Innovation Officer at Plerion, and has had a storied career at a variety of technology firms around Australia. In this conversation Daniel brings his experience and insight to the topic of common myths and misconceptions within the cybersecurity industry, and with Cole Cornford tackles questions like: Does a cybersecurity professional need to know how to code? Is there a workforce shortage in the industry? Should pen testers write remediation advice? Timestamps 1:50 - Does a cybersecurity professional need to know how to code? 5:40 - Is the ..read more

While working as Head of Cyber Security Business Services at Australia Post, Susie Jones worked on a product that was designed to support small businesses that had suffered a data breach. Susie came to believe that existing cybersecurity tools and support was generally either too expensive for Australian small businesses, or didn’t suit their needs. And so she co-founded Cynch Security, which aims to fill this gap.  In this conversation Susie chats with Cole Cornford about Susie’s career, the benefits of coming from a non-technical background, and they do a deep dive on the security needs ..read more

In this episode Cole Cornford chats with Nathan Morelli, Head of Cyber Security and IT Resilience at SA Power Networks, which is the sole electricity provider for the entire state of South Australia. Making sure that 1.7 million people have electricity is a pretty important job, and Nathan shares his perspective on how the organisation maintains resilience in the face of potential breaches. They also discuss the importance of financial management skills in a management role, the Australian government’s updates to the Essential 8 and the national Six Shields cyber strategy, the importance of wo ..read more

In this episode, Cole Cornford chats with Mat Franklin, founder and managing director of the consulting firm MF & Associates. Founded in 2019, Mat has quickly grown the company to be 70 or so employees, with their largest team being a cybersecurity team. With a focus on diversity and representation, MF & Associates are made up of approx 70% women, as well as having strong representation of LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities. In the conversation, Cole and Mat chat about the importance of diversity and representation in tech and cybersecurity, what Mat looks for in a potential employee ..read more

The cybersecurity industry is made up of people from all sorts of different backgrounds, and Michael Collins is a perfect example. After spending 8 years in the Australian navy, Michael moved to Cairns and became a diving instructor. After 5 years, Michael decided it was time for a career change and enrolled in a course to become a Microsoft certified systems engineer. Today, he’s Chief Information Security Officer at Judo Bank. In this episode we chat about how Michael has managed major transitions in his career, the importance of aligning cybersecurity strategies with business goals, systems ..read more

Seth Law is Founder and Principal Consultant of Redpoint Security, an AppSec consulting firm that focuses on code security, as well as co-host of the fantastic Absolute AppSec podcast. Seth has plenty of experience with the nitty gritty details of software development, and Cole Cornford had a great time nerding out with him about static analysis tools and code reviews. They chat about the potential for AI to improve AppSec, the unhelpful tendency to idolise big tech companies, the importance of good communication between developers and AppSec, and plenty more. Secured by Galah Cyber website ..read more

Ian Yip is the founder and CEO of Avertro, a venture backed startup that creates software to help teams manage and measure their cybersecurity performance. In this episode Cole Cornford spoke with Ian about how being a salesperson is a valuable skill for any security professional, the common fallacy in software of “if you build it, they will come”, the similarities between starting a company and having kids, and plenty more. Secured by Galah Cyber website 4:00 - Ian works from different locations around the world. 5:20 - Ian’s professional background. 5:30 - Ian was in cybersecurity before it ..read more

Riki Blok is a management recruitment consultant who specialises in cybersecurity. Riki heads up a team of recruitment consultants at the employment agency Talenza, filling positions in security, infrastructure, dev ops and cloud. This role gives him a unique perspective on the cybersecurity industry, and in his conversation with host Cole Cornford, Riki shares his insights on what companies are looking for in their hires, both for entry level and more senior security roles. Riki and Cole chat about current trends in the industry, what skills are most important in potential employees, changing ..read more

“Secured” is the podcast for software security enthusiasts. Host Cole Cornford sits down with Australia’s top software security experts to uncover their unconventional career paths and the challenges they faced along the way. Listen in as they share their insights on the diverse approaches to AppSec, company by company, and how each organisation’s security needs are distinct and require personalised solutions. If you’re entering the world of application security and need a helping hand or a veteran, you’ll find something valuable in every episode. Subscribe now to hear career stories and pract ..read more