Defence & Security Podcast Network

AI is pushing financial institutions to modernise, but the answer is not to replace everything. Banks should focus on the technology, data, and processes that directly support business outcomes.

AI is putting modernisation back on the executive agenda as legacy systems increasingly limit banks' ability to adopt AI, access data in real time, and respond to regulatory and resilience demands. Atos executives Dee Lawler and Matthew Hughes argue modernisation is now a business issue, not simply a technology refresh.
"The objective to modernise isn't to modernise the technology or the most technology," Hughes says. "It's to modernise the technology that matters most."
But banks should resist the temptation to make AI the answer to everything. Leaders should first identify the business outcome they want, then determine what is holding them back – whether that is technology, data, processes, skills, or risk. Incremental modernisation can reduce operational risk while allowing organisations to measure returns, with resilience and business continuity built into the design.
The takeaway for financial services leaders is simple: modernise where technology is constraining growth, efficiency, customer experience, or resilience – not simply because AI has created a sense of urgency.
Enjoy,
The Cyber Uncut team

Cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, AI enabled and difficult to attribute, creating growing risks for Australia's defence networks, critical infrastructure and broader economy, according to Glenn Maiden, chief security officer and director of threat intelligence for Australia and New Zealand at Fortinet.

The cyber threat landscape is increasingly blurring the lines between state-sponsored actors, cyber criminals and issue-motivated groups.
For Defence, cyber operations offer adversaries the ability to create significant effects without the geographical constraints, cost or attribution challenges associated with conventional weapons.
The challenge for Defence and industry is therefore not simply preventing compromise but building systems that can withstand it.
The message for Defence and industry is clear: cyber resilience must become an architectural priority rather than a reactive response. Strong security controls, multifactor authentication, password management, robust back-ups and resilient infrastructure can significantly reduce the impact of an inevitable attack.
The next challenge will be understanding the dependencies that connect Australia's economy, critical infrastructure and defence supply chains. Even a small business supplying a seemingly insignificant component could ultimately be critical to a major power plant or defence platform.
The cyber threat is real, but it is not insurmountable. With the right people, processes, technology and resilient architecture, Australia can mitigate the risks and ensure that a successful cyber intrusion does not automatically translate into a national crisis.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect Spotlight team

AI is pushing financial institutions to modernise, but the answer is not to replace everything. Banks should focus on the technology, data, and processes that directly support business outcomes.

AI is putting modernisation back on the executive agenda as legacy systems increasingly limit banks' ability to adopt AI, access data in real time, and respond to regulatory and resilience demands. Atos executives Dee Lawler and Matthew Hughes argue modernisation is now a business issue, not simply a technology refresh.
"The objective to modernise isn't to modernise the technology or the most technology," Hughes says. "It's to modernise the technology that matters most."
But banks should resist the temptation to make AI the answer to everything. Leaders should first identify the business outcome they want, then determine what is holding them back – whether that is technology, data, processes, skills, or risk. Incremental modernisation can reduce operational risk while allowing organisations to measure returns, with resilience and business continuity built into the design.
The takeaway for financial services leaders is simple: modernise where technology is constraining growth, efficiency, customer experience, or resilience – not simply because AI has created a sense of urgency.
Enjoy,
The Cyber Uncut team

Daniel Croft and David Hollingworth break down the essential AI and security news of the week, from sovereign capability to cyber crime, and fighting property scams.

Hollingworth and Croft open the podcast with a breakdown of why Australian banks are standing up a new partnership program to promote the growth and adoption of local AI innovators – and explain why it's an important step in Australia's AI journey.
At the same time, NSW has said it is taking steps to combat the rise of AI in classrooms by tackling the technology and its impact on the HSC. It's a good move.
It's sadly been another bad week for Australian data finding its way onto the dark web via ransomware actors, with patient data once again compromised. But despite the hackers' claims that they hit NSW Health, the department has denied any such intrusion; the threat actor is definitely boasting, but the data is nonetheless real – Cyber Daily just doesn't know where it came from.
And, finally, we sit down with PEXA's chief information security officer, Graham Fairley, to talk property scams: how they work, what a recent survey reveals, and how property buyers can protect themselves.
Enjoy,
The Cyber Uncut team

Quantum technology could become a major force multiplier for Australia's future defence capabilities, according to Kendy Hau, head of defence at Fujitsu Australia, and Mahesh Krishnan, chief technology officer for Australia and New Zealand at Fujitsu Australia.

Quantum technology spans three key areas: quantum sensing, quantum communications, and quantum computing, each at different stages of maturity and offering distinct opportunities for Defence.
For Defence, the opportunity extends beyond quantum computing itself. Quantum-inspired technologies are already available and can help solve complex optimisation problems, while future quantum systems could work alongside high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.
The combination could fundamentally accelerate military decision making by rapidly analysing multiple possible outcomes and identifying optimal solutions across sensing, targeting, and command.
Australia's key challenge is treating quantum as an emerging defence capability rather than simply a research program. The nation has a strong research base and growing industrial partnerships, but the window to translate that advantage into sovereign capability is narrowing.
The message for Defence and industry is clear: Australia cannot afford to wait for fault-tolerant quantum computing before acting. Quantum sensing, communications and quantum-inspired technologies provide opportunities to begin building capability now.
History does not record which side had the better research program. It records which side recognised the disruptive moment and moved faster.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect Spotlight team