Defence & Security Podcast Network

Artificial intelligence promises to transform productivity, business and government – but what happens when the technology starts making decisions its human operators never intended?

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Phil Tarrant is joined by Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson to examine the rapidly emerging security risks surrounding AI, from autonomous agents exploiting vulnerabilities to the growing challenge of keeping increasingly powerful systems inside appropriate guardrails.
With businesses racing to deploy AI and governments grappling with how – or whether – to regulate it, Tarrant and Thompson explore whether Australia is moving fast enough to understand the threat, protect critical systems and ensure the technology designed to make us more productive doesn't become a new contested ground itself.

HPE's Matt Hanmer says organisations must break down the traditional divide between network and security teams as AI accelerates attacks and infrastructure becomes increasingly distributed.

Organisations need to bring network and security operations together to keep pace with increasingly distributed infrastructure and faster-moving cyber threats, according to HPE APJ regional director Matt Hanmer.
Speaking on the Cyber Uncut podcast, Hanmer said the traditional separation between teams is becoming unworkable as organisations connect more people, locations and applications while facing pressure to do more with less. Treating the network as a security sensor can help organisations detect threats while reducing duplicated tools, costs and operational complexity.
AI is adding urgency to the shift, with attackers increasingly automating activity that once took months and compressing parts of the attack lifecycle into hours or minutes, Hanmer said. Defenders need to automate repetitive security operations while keeping humans responsible for oversight and intervention. Rather than keeping people "in the loop" for every decision, Hanmer advocates putting humans "on the loop" – setting rules and parameters for automated systems while ensuring security teams can intervene when necessary.
Hanmer will discuss HPE's approach further at HPE Networking Day in Sydney on 7 October, where attendees can see its networking roadmap, demonstrations, and meet its global leadership team.
Enjoy,
The Cyber Uncut team

How is AI reshaping the cyber threat landscape, and how can the defence industry respond to new threats giving attackers unprecedented speed and scale?

Speaking with Defence Connect news editor Robert Dougherty, Palo Alto Networks chief security intelligence officer Wendi Whitmore and industry principal Tom Scully discuss the rise of frontier AI and its implications for military networks, critical infrastructure, and Australia's defence supply chain.
The trio examine how AI is accelerating cyber attacks, allowing adversaries to identify previously obscure vulnerabilities and target smaller organisations across defence supply chains. They also discuss lessons from contemporary conflicts, where cyber operations are increasingly integrated with conventional military activity.
The conversation explores the growing importance of AI-enabled cyber defence, zero trust architectures, and treating military networks as weapon systems rather than traditional IT infrastructure.
Looking ahead, Whitmore and Scully discuss securing autonomous AI agents, protecting AUKUS information sharing and preparing Defence and industry for increasingly AI-enabled cyber warfare.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

Defence Connect co-hosts Phil Tarrant and news editor Robert Dougherty discuss the latest developments shaping Australia's defence industry and national security environment.

The pair examine Australia's recently released 2026 Intergenerational Report, defence workforce requirements, and preparations for Land Forces 2026.
The podcast conversation includes the following topics:
The long-term implications of demographic, economic, and geopolitical change for defence.
The extension of the ADF Reserve liability period and the importance of retaining experienced military personnel.
Land Forces 2026 and new security arrangements surrounding the major defence industry exhibition.
The establishment of the Cyber Reserve and new pathways for attracting specialist technology talent into Defence.
Security vulnerabilities surrounding Australian defence bases, including drone incursions and physical access to military facilities.
Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect team

Australia and the United Kingdom share one of the world's deepest strategic relationships – but in an increasingly contested geopolitical environment, that partnership is taking on new significance.

In this episode of Contested Ground, Phillip Tarrant and Major General (Ret'd) Dr Marcus Thompson are joined by acting British high commissioner to Australia Dr Brian Jones to unpack the future of AUKUS, the UK's growing Indo-Pacific focus, and the security challenges binding the two nations more closely together.
They also explore the enormous industrial opportunity behind AUKUS, the role Australian businesses and technology can play in UK and allied defence supply chains, and why economic, technological, and national security cooperation is becoming increasingly inseparable.
It's a wide-ranging discussion on deterrence, defence industry, sovereign capability, and the enduring trust underpinning the Australia–UK relationship.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team