Navigating the Cyber Battlefield: AI-Driven Attacks and Strategies for Defense

Navigating the Cyber Battlefield: AI-Driven Attacks and Strategies for Defense

In the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has marked the advent of a new era defined by both innovation and vulnerability. Itโ€™s a โ€˜double-edged swordโ€™ for cyber security experts: AI holds great promise for enhanced security (improving processes and ensuring fewer gaps in security controls), but it also opens the door for innovative cyber threats. Indeed, this โ€œtransformative and dualistic shiftโ€ presents unprecedented challenges and opportunities and is sparking calls for regulatory measures to ...

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From AUKUS Advanced Technology Dialogue Australia โ€“ KB On The Go | Paddy McGuinness, Former UK Deputy National Security Advisor (Intelligence Security and Resilience); Senior Advisor at Brunswick Group, Toby Jones, Founder from TJC, and Beth Sanner, Foโ€ฆ
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In this episode, KB brings us the inside track at the AUKUS Advanced Technology Dialogue in Australia. Starting off with 2020Partnersโ€™ Founding Partner Greg Sim, who shares the significance of this strategic collaboration, KB also sits down with Paddy McGuinness, Former UK Deputy National Security Advisor (Intelligence Security and Resilience); Senior Advisor at Brunswick Group, Toby Jones, Founder from TJC, and Beth Sanner, Former Deputy Director for Mission Integration (ODNI); Director, Geopolitics and Strategy, International Capital Strategies as they discuss what it means to be โ€˜quantum-readyโ€™, the convergence between government and industry, and the โ€˜Grey Zoneโ€™.

Paddy McGuinness, Former UK Deputy National Security Advisor (Intelligence Security and Resilience); Senior Advisor at Brunswick Group

Paddy McGuinness is a Senior Adviser at Brunswick Group, supporting clients on crisis and resilience and the interplay between geopolitics, national security and their transactions. He works closely with the Firmโ€™s regional and specialist leads across Technology, Cyber, Aerospace and Defence, Litigation, Geopolitical, Activism and Competition and Regulatory Affairs.

From 2014 โ€“ 2018, Paddy was the UKโ€™s Deputy National Security Advisor for Intelligence, Security and Resilience and Government Chief Security Officer advising two successive British Prime Ministers on UK Homeland Security policy, capabilities and related legislation. This included the UKโ€™s National Risk Assessment and ability to respond to and recover from all hazards and threats, national crisis response and coordination, cyber strategies and programmes, counter terrorism and approach to managing hostile state activities, including the resilience of Critical National Infrastructure. He chaired the Investment Security Group reviewing FDI and M&A for National Security purposes.

As a Foreign Service officer Paddy led variously on Counter Terrorism, aspects of Cyber, the Middle East, Iran, Counter Proliferation and Africa. He served overseas in the Middle East and Europe and was an envoy on matters as diverse as Yemen, Counter Terrorism, and National Security and Law Enforcement access to data.

Away from Brunswick Paddy works with Governments on their Resilience and with Private Equity on emerging technologies, nuclear energy and space. He is a
co- founder of Oxford Digital Healthcare and of Venari Security. He sits on the advisory board of PoolRe, the UKโ€™s Counter Terrorism Reinsurance Pool. Until the recent UK General Election he was a special advisor to the UK Parliamentโ€™s Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy.

Toby Jones, Founder from TJC

Toby is CEO of TJC and until recently was Head of UKโ€™s Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE). TJC founded, mobilised and led ACE for the UK Home Office from
2017 โ€“ 2024. ACE is a Home Office capability which is highly regarded cross-sector for its mission-led innovation platform. ACE has expedited the development and deployment of ยฃ150M+ of cutting-edge capability driving forward diverse public missions in counter-terrorism and
homeland security, cybersecurity, pandemic response, healthcare, law enforcement and justice.

Toby is known as an inspiring and innovative leader who created ACE and who has had a multi-faceted career, grounded in national security and public safety, as a senior civil servant, in private sector with a global professional services firm and founder of a successful values-
based UK SME synonymous with powerful innovation.

Beth Sanner, Former Deputy Director for Mission Integration (ODNI); Director, Geopolitics and Strategy, International Capital Strategies

Beth Sanner is the Director of Geopolitics and Strategy at International Capital Strategies. She has held a wide range of national security positions for over 35 years, including in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security
Council, and the U.S. Department of State.

Bethโ€™s last government role was as the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Mission Integration, where she oversaw the integration of Intelligence Community collection, analysis, and programs and served as the President Trumpโ€™s intelligence briefer.

Prior to this role, Beth was the Director of the Presidentโ€™s Daily Brief, Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council, and a senior executive in CIAโ€™s Directorate of Analysis. Beth continues to inform both business and government leaders and everyday Americans about foreign affairs through consulting, speaking engagements, writings, and as a CNN national security contributor.

She also is a Distinguished Fellow at the German Marshall Fund, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Intelligence Program at Harvard Universityโ€™s Belfer Center, and a Senior Fellow at the U.S. Chamber Foundation.

2025 Cybersecurity Predictions By Qualys

1. Prediction: The increasing use of AI will not alter the basics of cybersecurity strategies   โ€œWhile several enterprises are looking for the next best AI solution in an effort to fight fire with fire, I am reminded of the famous Alphonse Karr quote, โ€œThe more things change, the more they stay the same.โ€ As such, a better question is, โ€œWhat do businesses stand to lose (i.e. what is the value at risk) from AI abuse...

How Breach Readiness Will Shape Cyber Defense In 2025

Let me start by wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a great new 2025 ahead. As we exit 2024, I am equally hopeful and worried about the year ahead. While I am concerned that even increased spending on cybersecurity has not slowed down cyberattacks, with increased interest in breach readiness and cyber defense, I am hopeful that the industry will focus on reducing opportunities to a large extent. In 2024, as I...

When Post-Quantum Cryptography Is No Longer Post-Quantum

In an era where quantum computing edges closer to practicality, the cryptographic protocols we rely on must evolve to meet emerging challenges. Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) represents a proactive step towards safeguarding sensitive information against quantum-powered threats. However, as with any technology at the frontier of innovation, PQC standards are not set in stone. The Changing Face of PQC Standards The...

Proactive Measures for Businesses to Achieve Effective Cyber Hygiene Practices

Cybercrime rates in Australia have surged, with online attacks averaging out to one every six minutes, according to the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD).(1) For organisations, one of the most common attacks is email compromise, which involves manipulating individuals into unauthorised financial transactions or the disclosure of sensitive company data.(2) This rise in cyber incidents translates into significant...

Antifragility โ€“ The Essential Strategy for Modern Cyber Defense

This blog is dedicated to one of the most influential thinkers of the modern era: mathematical genius, statistician, former options trader, risk analyst, and aphorist Nassim Nicholas Taleb. His noteworthy work, which addresses fundamental issues of randomness, probability, complexity, and uncertainty, is not only critical for risks in financial planning and life in general but is also very relevant to the context...

The Five Step Journey To Securing Australiaโ€™s Most Important Data Assets

Financial institutions are leading the way in their pursuit of adaptive protections against evolving information-stealing threats. Securing information assets to be resilient against a broad spectrum of threats is a journey many Australian organisations find themselves on. A steady stream of data breach disclosures - and a desire not to join that list - is keeping them motivated to stay the course. For banks and...

AIโ€™s Transformative Role In Corporate Governance

Introduction Corporate governance is on the brink of a major transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI), which is already reshaping the way organisations operate. As we move deeper into the Fifth Industrial Revolution, AI is no longer a distant concept, but a central force that has fundamentally altered how companies are making strategic decisions, managing risks, and ensuring compliance. The opportunity...

Secure-By-Design Is A Significant Exercise, But The Rewards Are Significant, Too

Concerted multilateral efforts are underway to influence and change developer behaviour when it comes to secure software creation. The idea of baking security into software right from the start of the development lifecycle is going from strength to strength, having gained important buy-in from cybersecurity agencies and vendors in the past year. Over 250 vendors supplying the US government have now signed a...

Cloud-Based Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) vs Local PQC: Not as Straightforward as Youโ€™d Think

Introduction As the quantum computing era approaches, organisations must adopt Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) to safeguard their data against future quantum threats. A critical decision in this transition is whether to implement PQC through cloud-based services or rely on local deployment. Each approach offers distinct advantages and challenges, and the right choice depends on the organisationโ€™s specific needs,...

Claroty 2025 Cyber Security Predictions

The use of cyberattacks in executing modern warfare, which is already happening, will enter public awareness A major cyberattack will be executed on critical infrastructure as part of a wartime scenario and this will enter mainstream news, as world leaders recognise the need to protect their domestic critical infrastructure from being attacked by an act of war from their enemies. Proposed legislation to protect...

AI Ethics: Developing AI models with intent, transparency and diversity

Introduction As humans, we all walk through the world with a certain level of uncious bias. It makes sense then that anything we โ€˜inventโ€™ is inherently riddled with this bias whether we think so or not. Itโ€™s no surprise that the development of AI has come with a laundry list of ethical concerns. Recently I spoke with Vini Cardoso, Field CTO of Cloudera as part of Tickerโ€™s โ€˜Tech Edgeโ€™ series to understand some of...

Why The First Stage Of Cyber Incident Response Is No Longer To Hit The Killswitch

Containing an incident often means disconnecting whole environments, but technology is giving IR teams more optimal choices. A recent survey found 63% of Australians had been caught up in a cyber attack or data breach in the past year, with half finding themselves in more than one. With ransomware and other types of attacks playing out so often in Australia and around the world, the cyber incident response playbook...

Why Microsegmentation is the Key to Containing Breaches in Todayโ€™s Cybersecurity Landscape

The Rise of Breach Readiness in Modern Cybersecurity  Businesses today are navigating an increasingly complex digital environment where cyber threats evolve relentlessly. In recent years, cybersecurity has transformed from a niche technical concern to a strategic priority that sits firmly on the boardroom agenda. The rapid rise in the sophistication of cybercrime has left organizations grappling with how best to...

Navigating Cybersecurity Decision-making In The Age Of AI: Insights Into Operational, Tactical, And Strategic Influences

KBI Media is bringing you a preview of presentations from the upcoming Australian Cyber Security Conference in Melbourne. On 28 November 2024, Dr Ivano Bongiovanni, General Manager, AUSCERT will be unveiling insights from cutting edge research to unpack how decisions are being made in cybersecurity Dr Bongiovanni recently undertook research to discover what are the driving factors that influence cybersecurity...

Why Breaking Down Identity Silos Has Become An Imperative For Business

Many businesses today rely on hybrid IT environments that integrate a complex array of applications, datacentres, and cloud services. While these diverse ecosystems offer flexibility, they also present a critical challenge: identity silos. Fragmented identity and access management (IAM) creates security vulnerabilities, reduces efficiency, and raises operational costs. To mitigate these risks, organisations need a...

Post-Quantum Cryptography And Compliance: Where Are We Now?

As quantum computing continues to advance, its implications for cybersecurity are increasingly apparent. Quantum technology has the potential to disrupt widely used cryptographic protocols, exposing sensitive information to new vulnerabilities. In response, governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are urging organisations to adopt quantum-safe measures to protect data against future quantum threats. Post-Quantum...
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2025 Cybersecurity Predictions by CyberArk

The cybersecurity landscape is poised for transformative shifts in 2025 driven by technological innovation and evolving threats.  As cybercriminals become more sophisticated, organisations must stay ahead by proactively adopting strategies that prioritise identity security and business resiliency.    Thomas Fikentscher, CyberArkโ€™s Area Vice President for ANZ, outlines his key cybersecurity predictions highlighting...

Human-centric Cybersecurity: The First Line of Defence

Introduction Australian organisations face an array of cybersecurity challenges that didnโ€™t exist half a decade ago. And yet the reliance on traditional security and legacy systems is largely the status quo โ€“ often falling short in addressing the nuanced interplay between human behaviour and technological vulnerabilities. A New Approach Enter human-centric security โ€“ a fundamental first step to enhance the cyber...

Keeping The Public Safe From Festive Scams

"While the festive season should be a period of joy and goodwill, hackers are particularly active in Australia and have the ability to employ new, sophisticated tactics on consumers. One emerging trend we're seeing is the use of AI-powered tools, with deepfake technologies allowing hackers to create convincing face-swapped videos and the ability to emulate voices on the telephone. They might impersonate a family...

Modernising Privileged Access Management To Combat Advanced ID-Based Cyber Threats

As cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated, businesses find themselves facing attackers who exploit increasingly complex identity trusts. The proliferation of digital transformation, accelerated by cloud adoption and remote work trends, has expanded organisational attack surfaces and complicated cybersecurity efforts. Today, identity-based attacks are so prevalent that roughly 90%[1] of organisations have...