How do businesses better prepare their defences?

As more incidents are reported and bigger brands see their data stores being breached, cybersecurity has gone from the problem that won’t go away to become a discussion of brand confidence and cyber skills shortage.

So how do businesses better prepare their defences – for what to do on that day when the worst occurs? How do you find the right tech talent when many skills are seeing 0% unemployment rates? We’re talking to two leaders in the areas of cybersecurity and tech skills to give us their insights on the best path forward.

Guests:

• Scarlett McDermott – Chief Technology Officer, With You With Me

• Kris Lovejoy – Global Security and Resilience Leader, Kyndryl

Show notes:

Recent months (September-October 2022) in Australia saw some of the highest profile security breaches against companies that hold deeply personal information about their customers. In this podcast we explore questions of what is at stake for companies when it comes to managing their security in order to protect customer data – and to respond effectively should the worst occur.

What does it mean to place security and resilience within the same category for business? Risks are more than just a question of what is stolen. With new government penalties and significant brand reputation damage at stake, we look at why security must become fully integrated into the core business continuity system.

We also explore questions of building the right levels of skills within the workplace and why we need to look beyond IT degrees if we are to meet the skills shortage head on. With many different kinds of jobs in cybersecurity, how do we build the right skill response and cultural response to ensure we have the right security mindset across an organisation.

By searching for the right IT skills through new avenues of recruitment, we also create opportunities for more diverse and effective teams as new ways of thinking enter our corporate technology teams.

Read more:

• ‘A perfect storm’: why solving the cybersecurity crisis is critical to the future of business

• Cybercrime in Australia has been on the rise for years

• Cyber Skills shortage to hit 30,000 in four years

Links:

• WithYouWithMe

Credits:

The Tech Pulse Podcast is produced by Guardian Labs Australia

• Host: Seamus Byrne

• Guardian Labs producers: Alison Tanudisastro and Joady Weatherup

• Executive producer and Guardian Labs head of content: Justine O’Donnell

• Sound editor: Mellany Chun

Transformation is a constant for modern business.

But today, it can no longer be discussed in the absence of climate action. If you want to reshape your business for the future, you need to be preparing for a business landscape that will be aggressively dealing with climate change and its impacts. From brand impacts and customer preferences to managing sustainability targets throughout business supply chains, sustainability will become essential to long-term success for every enterprise.

Guests:

• Professor Martina Linnenluecke – Director of the Centre for Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Finance, Macquarie University

• Faith Taylor – Vice President and Global Sustainability Officer, Kyndryl

Show notes:

Targets are only getting stronger as the need to achieve a carbon zero future as soon as possible grows critical. So how are leading businesses balancing sustainability and growth? What are the biggest questions business leaders should explore to meet this challenge? And what lessons can we take from businesses who have taken real leadership in the fight to save our planet? From first steps to a full integration of zero emissions objectives, we’re speaking to two sustainability leaders to understand how to meet this crisis head on.

We explore the importance of setting ambitious targets that match your corporate strategy, and ensuring they are given the resources needed to reach them. Avoiding poor assumptions while grasping the appropriate boundaries and scope to underpin your baselines will ensure a business can set goals with confidence.

Our guests also explore the importance of working in partnership with others – from other businesses to NGOs – as the challenges we face need collective efforts to succeed. Sustainability is not just a question of environmental management but the ability to build resilient businesses that deliver sustainable financial results over the long term future.

Above all, we learn the importance of a clear vision that is led from the top. All action is meaningful, but the greatest successes are found when action is driven by senior leadership and a clear alignment with business objectives.

Read more:

• Lead with intent: putting sustainable goals at the heart of your business plan

Links:

• Centre for Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Finance

• McKinsey “net-zero transition” study

• Greenhouse Gas Protocol

• Global Reporting Initiative

Credits:

The Tech Pulse Podcast is produced by Guardian Labs Australia

• Host: Seamus Byrne

• Guardian Labs producers: Alison Tanudisastro and Joady Weatherup

• Executive producer and Guardian Labs head of content: Justine O’Donnell

• Sound editor: Mellany Chun

• Sound recordist: Dan McHugh

From open banking and NPP to blockchain and NFTs, the financial sector is in the midst of the greatest change in its history.

With everything up for grabs, can new entrants succeed in building new models and markets? Or can traditional banking incumbents add features and services to maintain their hold on customers? We explore the challenges and opportunities in the future of financial services, their importance to the wider economic recovery, and how issues of data, privacy, security, automation and more will play a role in building a new Fintech future. We are joined by two of Australia’s fintech industry leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the local sector.

Guests:

• May Lam – Oceania Fintech Leader and Asia-Pacific Payments Leader, EY

• Michael Bromley – Group CEO, Stone & Chalk

• Anandh Maistry – Managing Partner, Banking and Insurance AU/NZ, Kyndryl

Show notes:

The financial sector is in the midst of one of the greatest transformations since ATMs emerged 50 years ago. Money now flows most freely as numbers swapped seamlessly between digital ledgers, cash fading fast during a pandemic where physicality was to be avoided as often as possible.

New standards for the finance industry have been slowly emerging at the same time. From open banking and NPP to blockchain and NFT, the conditions are ripe for new FinTech challengers to rise up to take on the traditional institutions. EY’s Fintech Australia Census in 2021 found 82% of Australian fintechs met or exceeded their capital raising goals last year.

We explore the ups and downs of the past few years, how fintech startups can find their path to success, and why these challengers can be at an advantage over the incumbent financial institutions. Plus, with many startups on a path to being bought out by the bigger players, how do we ensure innovation leads to real change for better consumer experiences? And what is the right way for fintech startups and big institutions to cooperate?

Links:

• EY Fintech Australia census

• Does Australian Fintech punch above its weight?

Credits:

The Tech Pulse Podcast is produced by Guardian Labs Australia

• Host: Seamus Byrne

• Guardian Labs producers: Alison Tanudisastro and Joady Weatherup

• Executive producer and Guardian Labs head of content: Justine O’Donnell

• Sound editor: Mellany Chun