In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, Daniel Croft and David Hollingworth talk about NSWEduChat, a virtual Charlie Kirk, the impact of a cyber incident disrupting airports across Europe, and how Australian not-for-profits are getting a new tool to face a rising tide of ransomware attacks.

• Croft and Hollingworth open proceedings with Instagram’s new AI age assurance checks then talk about the new AI tool being rolled out to NSW public school students and how promising it looks.
• The pair also discuss the ramifications of creating a deepfake of Charlie Kirk to address packed crowds at US megachurches in the wake of his murder and about a data leak on a website set up by American conservatives to out anyone speaking ill of Kirk.
• They also share an update on the Jaguar Land Rover hack which is still disrupting production in the UK and walk through a ransomware attack that has crippled a string of major European airports.
• Finally, Hollingworth and Croft find some good news, with NSW enacting legislation to tackle harmful deepfakes and a service offering cyber attack simulations to the not-for-profit sector, which has experienced a surge in malicious activity so far this year.

Enjoy the episode,
The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, Daniel Croft and David Hollingworth touch on the latest in AI and its incorporation in Australian education, the latest from ransomware operators targeting Australian organisations, and the alleged retirement of Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters.

• Croft and Hollingworth begin by discussing UNSW and its partnership with OpenAI, which will see 10,000 licenses rolled out to students.
• The pair then discuss new and older ransomware gangs, with a new sophisticated ransomware operation called The Gentlemen coming out of the gates strong, while Kairos continues to harm Australian businesses.
• Croft and Hollingworth then discuss the ongoing Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack, which has led to increased factory operation delays.
• Finally, the two discuss action by eSafety to introduce new safeguards in the popular online game Roblox to protect children from predators, a move that Roblox seems to be complying with.

Enjoy the episode,
The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, host Steve Kuper is joined by the Honourable Andrew Hastie MP, shadow minister for home affairs, for a hard-hitting discussion on the shifting nature of Australia’s national security challenges.

No longer confined to conventional defence or counter-terrorism, the security debate now spans economic sovereignty, industrial security, and social cohesion. Against the backdrop of recent revelations of Iranian espionage attempts on Australian soil, Hastie warns that hostile foreign actors are probing Australia’s vulnerabilities, not only in cyber space and critical infrastructure, but in the trust that underpins our diverse society.

Throughout the conversation, Hastie shares how his perspective has sharpened since stepping into the shadow portfolio following his time as shadow minister for Defence. He outlines the emerging contest for resilience – whether in defending supply chains, protecting advanced technologies, or insulating the national economy from coercion.

Kuper presses Hastie on the domestic implications of foreign espionage operations, particularly the way they threaten multicultural harmony and fuel social division. Hastie stresses that Australia must be proactive in countering influence operations, strengthening intelligence partnerships, and reinforcing trust across society.

The discussion then broadens to the strategic importance of resilience, a whole-of-nation approach that prepares Australians not just to respond to crises, but to withstand them.

Hastie points to key policy gaps, from weak industrial capacity to fragmented national planning, and calls for a more integrated framework that links defence, economy, and society into a coherent security posture.

As Australia navigates an increasingly contested world, this episode challenges listeners to rethink what security really means. The conversation offers sharp insights into how Australia can adapt to a new era of threats and why resilience must sit at the heart of any credible national security agenda.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, Daniel Croft and David Hollingworth touch on the latest in AI news, concerning developments in the world of cyber crime, and recommendations by the Law Council of Australia regarding the next phase of the nation’s Cyber Security Strategy.

• Croft and Hollingworth begin by discussing eSafety and changes made to the Online Safety Act to ensure that young children are less vulnerable to the dangers of sexually explicit and other AI chatbots.
• The pair then discuss the dramatic increase in ransomware attacks worldwide and in Australia, as well as the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s alarm over a year-old vulnerability being exploited against Australian organisations.
• Croft and Hollingworth then discuss the ongoing Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack, with data now confirmed compromised and an impact that could last until at least next month.
• Finally, the two discuss the Law Council of Australia’s recommendations for Horizon 2 of the Australian Cyber Security Strategy, which suggest that small businesses should have their cyber security subsidised.

Enjoy the episode,
The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Phil Tarrant, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack the escalating role of information warfare in today’s conflicts.

From the mobile phone’s transformation into a weapon to the blurred lines between propaganda and “information operations”, the team dissects how truth itself has become contested ground.

The conversation explores the challenges of navigating a “post-truth” world dominated by political tribalism, misinformation, and the weaponisation of narratives. The hosts reflect on conflicts such as Gaza, where competing lobbies and real-time social media footage shape global perceptions.

They also examine Australia’s role within the Five Eyes alliance, including revelations of restricted intelligence sharing around the Ukraine peace talks – a development that could reshape international cooperation and Canberra’s strategic outlook.

The team rounds out the discussion with broader geopolitical and domestic challenges, from US talk of military action in Latin America to Australia’s housing affordability crisis – all underlining the reality that contestation extends far beyond the battlefield.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft discuss the latest AI news, some worrying trends in cyber crime, and this year’s largest supply chain hack, impacting hundreds of companies worldwide.

Hollingworth and Croft kick things off by looking at the NSW government embracing AI and the federal government’s timely move to ban deepfake “nudify” apps that are being used to bully and harrass.

The pair then catch up with the latest cyber crime news, from the wide-ranging Salesloft Drift hacks that have impacted companies like Zscaler and Palo Alto Networks, to a brazen local hack that’s seen delicate health data published online by unscrupulous ransomware operators.

Hollingworth and Croft wind things up with some mostly good news, with an AI stethoscope potentially a game changer for heart health, and an international operation to take down a fake ID marketplace.

Enjoy the episode,
The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft discuss a pair of lawsuits targeting ChatGPT’s maker, cyber crime news, and one US politician’s novel solution to combat hackers.

Hollingworth and Croft kick things off by addressing a pair of lawsuits targeting OpenAI and the tragic case of a teenager who was allegedly aided in their suicide by ChatGPT’s advice.

The pair then catch up with the latest news: from a string of cyber attacks that targeted Western Sydney University to Google’s warning of increased Iranian cyber attacks and a round-up of this week’s local ransomware attacks targeting Aussie businesses.

Hollingworth and Croft end the podcast discussing Australia’s “right to disconnect” laws and the bold plan of one American politician to bring back the Age of Sail’s letters of marque to recruit cyber privateers.

Enjoy the episode,
The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft discuss CommBank’s use of AI to stop scams, local hacks and international cyber news, creepy AI toys for kids, and the alarming fact that what we know about ransomware attacks is just the tip of the iceberg.

• Hollingworth and Croft begin the podcast with two Commonwealth Bank stories: CBA rolling back its job cuts after AI chatbots fail to keep up with customer demand, and the bank’s novel use of AI to stymie scammers.
• The pair move on to a story with some incredible twists and turns after an Israeli cyber security specialist working for the government was arrested in Las Vegas for a shocking alleged crime, the iiNet hack that saw more Aussie data compromised by cyber criminals, and attacks on Australian institutions by pro-Palestine hackers.
• Hollingworth and Croft round things up with a creepy tale of two AI-powered toys designed to cut down on screen time for children, but which actually sound like a nightmare in their own right.

Enjoy the episode,
The Cyber Uncut team