Turning Off the Tap: Andrew Haschka on AI, Vulnerabilities and the Software Supply Chain | GitLab

Turning Off the Tap: Andrew Haschka on AI, Vulnerabilities and the Software Supply Chain | GitLab

In this episode of Cyber Voices, the official podcast of AISA, host David Savva-Willett is joined by Andrew Haschka, Field CTO for Asia Pacific and Japan at GitLab, for a candid look at the question almost every enterprise is wrestling with right now: how do we let developers move faster with AI without flooding production with vulnerabilities we cannot keep up with? With more than two decades across cyber security, cloud and digital transformation, and prior leadership roles at Google and VMware, Andrew advises organisations and governments across the region on delivering software securely and at speed. At the heart of the conversation is what Andrew calls the AI paradox. AI can make writing code dramatically faster, yet the flow on effects in testing, security validation, compliance and release often slow teams down, because the volume of code rises while the team stays the same size. Much of that AI generated code is drawn from the internet, where not everything is secure by design, so vulnerabilities can increase exponentially. Andrew and David explore the memorable goal of one CISO to turn off the tap of vulnerabilities running in production, and why prevention beats endless triage. From there the discussion moves to the consumerisation of AI and the sprawl of unmanaged tools, the importance of a traceable system of record that evolves into a knowledge graph, and the defender's advantage in the arms race between teams shipping AI assisted code and attackers using AI to find weaknesses. Andrew makes the case that a defender whose AI understands the specific code base, threat model and compliance posture will spot what a generic attacker AI misses. Andrew also unpacks what secure software supply chains look like in an AI assisted world, from integrity and attestation to provenance and traceability, and shares practical guidance for any security leader being asked to enable AI for their development teams. His advice centres on building intelligent orchestration across three layers: a unified data layer and system of record, strong control and access with purpose built agents, and a governed experience delivered through an AI gateway rather than uncontrolled sprawl, all with humans firmly in the loop. It is a practical and forward looking conversation for any CISO, engineering leader or developer trying to capture the benefits of AI without inheriting a new generation of risk.

The Chair's Check In: Michael Burchell on AISA at the Halfway Mark of 2026 | CyberConnect Canberra

In this episode of Cyber Voices, the official podcast of AISA, host David Savva-Willett sits down with Michael Burchell, Chair of the Australian Information Security Association, for a mid year check in on the state of Australia's peak body for cyber security. Recorded on the floor at the inaugural CyberConnect Canberra in the nation's capital, it is a candid look at where AISA sits at the halfway point of 2026, and, fittingly, it is Michael's very first podcast. The conversation opens with the reimagining of the event itself, the move from CyberCon Canberra to CyberConnect Canberra, and why a smaller, more curated and more local gathering is the right way to connect industry and professionals with government on regulation, consultation and cyber strategy. Michael and David also reflect on the proud tradition of the Australian Parliament House dinner in the Great Hall. From there the discussion turns to the year so far for an association now representing more than 14,000 members. Michael shares an update on the professionalisation town halls held around the country, the launch of the new Learning Portal for ongoing professional development, the scholarship program and its diversity work alongside partners such as AWSN, and the board's new long term strategy built around strategic pillars and a horizons approach. He also looks ahead to the SEC days still to come in Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin, and to the flagship CyberCon in Melbourne, with early bird registrations now open. Above all it is a thank you to the volunteers and branch committees who, in Michael's words, are the reason the association exists at all. Links to resources mentioned in this episode AISA professionalisation pilot, including the key questions and responses Michael mentioned: https://aisa.org.au/public/Public/News_and_Media/Professionalisation/Professionalisation.aspx [https://aisa.org.au/public/Public/News_and_Media/Professionalisation/Professionalisation.aspx] AISA Learning Portal, available now to all members (accessed through the AISA member area) https://www.aisa.org.au [https://www.aisa.org.au] CyberCon Melbourne, early bird registrations open: https://www.cyberconference.com.au/ [https://www.cyberconference.com.au/]  Australian Women in Security Network (AWSN): https://www.awsn.org.au/ [https://www.awsn.org.au/]

Nicole Stephensen on Privacy Impact Assessments and Securing Personal Information | BrisSEC 2026

In this episode of Cyber Voices, the official podcast of AISA, recorded live on the floor at BrisSEC in Brisbane, host David Savva-Willett sits down with Nicole Stephensen, a strategic risk and privacy professional recognised for her local and international expertise in privacy program management and her work as an expert witness on the reasonable steps needed to secure personal information across its lifecycle. Nicole is a Fellow of the Australian Information Security Association (FAISA) and a leading member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Fresh from a panel alongside Queensland Privacy Commissioner Alexander White and IDCARE interim Group CEO Charlotte Davidson, Nicole unpacks what a privacy impact assessment really is, why it belongs in every cyber security toolkit, and what happens when organisations skip it. She also shares a memorable reframe from the panel: think of a privacy impact assessment less like a yes or no gate and more like a navigation system. The question stops being can we do this and becomes how do we get there safely, steering around the potholes, roadblocks and unnecessary costs along the way. The conversation explores where privacy and security overlap and where they differ, the reasonable steps expected under Australian privacy law, the recent alignment of Queensland privacy law with the federal approach, and the most common mistake of all, which is simply not doing a privacy impact assessment when you could. As Nicole explains, a good PIA does not have to be onerous or expensive, with free toolkits and templates available from both the federal and state privacy regulators. Links to resources mentioned in this episode: Federal resources, from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): Guide to undertaking privacy impact assessments https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/privacy-impact-assessments/guide-to-undertaking-privacy-impact-assessments [https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/privacy-impact-assessments/guide-to-undertaking-privacy-impact-assessments] Privacy impact assessment tool (the free, adaptable template) https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/privacy-impact-assessments/privacy-impact-assessment-tool [https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/privacy-impact-assessments/privacy-impact-assessment-tool] 10 steps to undertaking a privacy impact assessment https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/privacy-impact-assessments/10-steps-to-undertaking-a-privacy-impact-assessment [https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/privacy-impact-assessments/10-steps-to-undertaking-a-privacy-impact-assessment] Queensland resources, from the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC): Privacy impact assessments (step by step guide) https://www.oic.qld.gov.au/guidelines/for-government/guidelines-privacy-principles/privacy-impact-assessments [https://www.oic.qld.gov.au/guidelines/for-government/guidelines-privacy-principles/privacy-impact-assessments] Undertaking a Privacy Impact Assessment (the full guideline) https://www.oic.qld.gov.au/guidelines/for-government/guidelines-privacy-principles/privacy-impact-assessments/undertaking-a-privacy-impact-assessment [https://www.oic.qld.gov.au/guidelines/for-government/guidelines-privacy-principles/privacy-impact-assessments/undertaking-a-privacy-impact-assessment] PIA templates, including the threshold privacy assessment and the PIA report templates https://www.oic.qld.gov.au/information-for/information-privacy-officers [https://www.oic.qld.gov.au/information-for/information-privacy-officers] PIA assessments from the Queensland OIC: https://www.oic.qld.gov.au/government/privacy/privacy-impact-assessments [https://www.oic.qld.gov.au/government/privacy/privacy-impact-assessments]

The 2026 Threat Landscape, Iran, and AI-Powered Phishing with Michael Kosak

Mike Kosak joins Cyber Voices to deliver a frank assessment of the 2026 cyber threat environment: it's not great, and it's getting worse. Mike is Director of Threat Intelligence at LastPass, with nearly 25 years of experience that began in the US Department of Defense as a counterterrorism intelligence officer. He served three deployments to Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, led the Pentagon office responsible for intelligence updates to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and acted as senior command representative to Joint Special Operations Command for the Defence Intelligence Agency. Since moving into the private sector he has led strategic cyber intelligence at Bank of America, headed the Cyber Threat Intelligence team at TIAA, and now drives threat intelligence at LastPass. In this conversation Mike and David unpack what the ongoing conflict in the Middle East means for Australian defenders, why Five Eyes membership puts Australia squarely in scope regardless of physical proximity, and how Iran targets opportunistically and then retrofits the rationale to fit. They look at China and Taiwan as a potential 2027 flashpoint, with critical infrastructure, education, and the defence industrial base already in frequent crosshairs. The conversation then shifts to phishing, where AI has lowered the barrier to entry and lifted operational tempo dramatically. Mike shares what his team has been observing as a single threat actor group develops its own AI-assisted phishing kit across three increasingly sophisticated versions, evolving from a basic login page to an attacker-in-the-middle reverse proxy. The episode closes with practical guidance for the Australian cyber community: the Essential Eight still gets you 80% of the way there, and getting a real handle on your tech stack, including shadow AI and shadow tech, will pay enormous dividends as the gap between vulnerability detection and exploitation continues to shrink.  Subscribe to Cyber Voices wherever you get your podcasts, and find us on YouTube for the video version.

Responding to a Cyber Crisis You Don’t Control with Darren Hopkins | BrisSEC 2026

In this episode of Cyber Voices, recorded live at BrisSEC 2026, host David Savva-Willett speaks with Darren Hopkins, Partner at McGrathNicol and a Brisbane-based cybersecurity professional with more than 30 years’ experience across law enforcement, digital forensics, incident response and cyber crisis management. Darren shares insights from his BrisSEC talk, “When You’re Already Losing: Responding to a Cyber Crisis You Don’t Control,” exploring the messy reality of cyber incidents where the playbook does not match the crisis. From third-party suppliers and SaaS dependencies to ransomware negotiations, regulators, media pressure, board expectations and limited information, Darren explains why effective incident response requires more than a neatly documented plan. David and Darren discuss why cyber crisis simulations matter, how organisations can build decision-making muscle memory, the importance of update cadence, the risks of over-communication, and why many incidents remain preventable through basic cyber hygiene, prioritisation and executive support. This episode is essential listening for CISOs, security leaders, board members, risk teams, communications professionals and anyone involved in preparing for or responding to a cyber incident. In this episode, we cover: * How to respond when you do not control the cyber crisis * Why incident response plans still matter, even when reality gets chaotic * The role of executives, legal, communications, HR and technical teams during a breach * Why third-party and SaaS risk changes crisis response * How cyber simulations can prepare boards and leadership teams * The importance of clear communication and update cadence * Why are many cyber incidents still preventable * What cyber leaders should start doing differently today