Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy | Episode 103

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Australian journalist Stilgherrian, who’s been covering internet policy for more than a decade, and has been closely following Australia’s cybersecurity and digital surveillance laws for global tech site ZDNet returns to Covert Contact to discuss Australia’s recently released 2020 cyber security strategy.

For more of Stilgherrian’s thoughts on the recently published cyber strategy visit ZDNet. You can find much more of his work at Stilgherrian.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter and make sure you check out his podcast The 9pm Edict.

Terrorists and Technology | Episode 85

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Levi West, Director of Terrorism Studies at Charles Sturt University in Canberra, returns to look at how terrorists leverage (or don’t leverage) emerging apps and platforms ranging from social media, to encryption, to cryptocurrencies. We do our best to cut through the hype and look at the very real limits and challenges terrorists face when they become early adopters or even sophisticated users of networks where states have a very real advantage.

The Crypto Wars: Update from the Australian Front | Episode 82

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Australian freelance journalist, commentator, and broadcaster Stilgherrian is back to discuss the battle over encryption and the seemingly irreconcilable differences between governments and privacy advocates. The Australian government has been particularly active in this space lately and Stil has a lot to say about their approach to the problem and how they could drive responses across the G20.

Stilgherrian’s work can be found at ZDNet Australia, Crikey, Technology Spectator, CSO Online, the ABC’s Drum Opinion, the Sydney Morning Herald, and beyond. He appears frequently on Australian television and radio and, of course, has a podcast of his own – The 9PM Edict.

This episode includes another short recollection from Fred Burton. Fred is the former deputy chief of counterterrorism at the Diplomatic Security Service and the author of the best-selling memoir GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent. His other works include Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent’s Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice and Under Fire: The Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi.

I kick off the show with a special announcement. Covert Contact now has a Patreon page. With your support I will be able to ramp up show production (eventually producing episodes daily) and release patron only episodes and updates. Reasonable, informed, and non-partisan discussion of critical issues has never been more important. I hope that you will help push Covert Contact to the next level.

Australian Cyber Policy | Episode 78

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Episode 78 wraps up a full month of focus on Australian defense perspectives with a look at cyber policy with the highly-regarded freelance journalist, commentator, and broadcaster Stilgherrian.

We tend to look at technology, and its impact on society, governance, and privacy, through a similar lens so I’ve always found the regional perspective he brings to those discussions to be very useful. If there’s an event in Australia related to technology, governance, security, or privacy Stil is almost certainly involved as an observer or speaker. His work can be found at ZDNet Australia, Crikey, Technology Spectator, CSO Online, the ABC’s Drum Opinion, the Sydney Morning Herald, and beyond. He appears frequently on Australian television and radio and, of course, has a podcast of his own – The 9PM Edict.

In this episode we dig into recent developments in Australian cyber policy and the role Australia plays in Five Eyes, and the region, from a cyber perspective. Along the way we take quite a few diversions into the Australian tech sector, military history, and unfortunate acronyms.

Australian Approaches to Counterterrorism | Episode 77

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The third week of episodes focused on Australian security perspectives continues with a discussion about Australia’s approach to counterterrorism with Levi West. Levi is the Director of Terrorism Studies at Charles Sturt University in Canberra.

Our discussion is wide ranging and spans how the university’s terrorism program is structured, the legal framework governing security operations inside Australia, community engagement, and the nature of the threats facing Australia.

Australian Special Operations Forces | Episode 76

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I’m joined by Colonel Ian Langford, DSC (Two Bar), who has served the Australian Army and Special Operations Command, with distinction, for over two decades. He has served in the Solomon Islands, East Timor, Bougainville, Israel, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Afghanistan where he was recognized with the Distinguished Service Cross for distinguished command and leadership in action as Officer Commanding Alpha Commando Company Group in the Special Operations Task Group, Operation SLIPPER. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the School of Advanced Warfighting. He is currently a Visiting Fellow at Charles Sturt University.

In episode 76 we’re taking a look at Australia’s special operations forces. We discuss how SOF are utilized, structured, and how they compliment and differ from similar forces in the United States. We also discuss the current state of the world, where it might be headed, and how that could impact the way special operations forces are utilized.

This episode also opens up with what will likely become a reoccurring short segment with New York Times bestselling author and former State Department counterterrorism agent Fred Burton. Fred worked many massive counterterrorism cases throughout his career and I’ll be rolling out short reflections on those in several upcoming episodes.