Past Events

The Australian Cyber Conference, Melbourne 2023

The NSWCBE hosted 10 NSW SME Cyber businesses to co-exhibit at AISA’s Australian Cyber Conference in Melbourne 17-20 October 2023. The program assists businesses to grow and to support this goal the NSWCBE secured a prime stand location offering participating cyber businesses the opportunity to display and present their product/service at the booth. Many opportunities to network with potential customers were attended by the group which included attendance at the prestigious AISA Awards Dinner and Block Party. A highlight included a media profile through interviews with Sky News.

Held over 3 days the conference is attended by over 5000 delegates. The partnering businesses included:

Risk Associates Europe Ltd Risk Associates is a client-centric cybersecurity firm supporting businesses in securing their information systems and data through achieving compliance with industry standards, strengthening their security posture, and ability to respond to cyber threats and breaches.

Guardware Australia
GuardWare products provide deep-level data protection, visibility and control, reducing the risk and building our cyber resilience.
www.guardware.comAverto

Avertro
Cyber Command Centre that helps leaders make business-driven decisions and meet regulatory compliance.
https://avertro.com

Truuth
Truuth solves the problem of ID fraud with market-leading solutions for identity verification, fraud detection and password-less authentication.
www.truuth.id

nCLOUDr
We bring Security to Cyber
www.ncloudr.com.au

Nullify
Augment your cyber team’s AppSec function with autonomous AI capable of triaging, correlating, and reasoning about your development security posture.
https://www.nullify.ai/

Janusnet Pty Ltd
Janusnet is Australia’s world-leading data classification developer - offering foundational zero trust capabilities, prevention of accidental disclosure: in document handling, in email transmission and web-conferencing.

Net Consulting

'Meet an Expert' - Pitch Training Masterclass.

Pitching for business is an essential skill for SMEs. Whether attending a trade show, presenting, or networking, an effective pitch is essential to gain business, leads, and new businesses. Over 30 businesses attended the Pitch Training Masterclass hosted through the NSWCBE's 'Meet an Expert Program'.

Delivered by industry expert Phil Ore from 25eight the group workshopped how to create a compelling story and effective pitch, leaving with a toolkit for practice.

NSWCBE Host Co-exhibitors at SydneySEC - 20 July 2023

The NSWCBE sponsored 2 booths and hosted 5 NSW Cyber businesses at SydneySec on 20 June 2023. The event attracted 702 registrations and 44 companies exhibited. The conference started with keynote speaker Matt Church who has authored 15 books on leadership and continued with various speakers and workshops throughout the day. The partnering businesses on the NSWCBE stand had a successful day networking and generating leads. Our co-exhibiting businesses included:

Sectara - The Cyber Security program for risk assessments and treatment plans
MyCiso - Security strategy, culture, and supply chain management platform
Plerion - Innovative Cloud platform, connect in minutes, secure forever
Ipsec - Focus on your expertise while we safeguard your cybersecurity
Synergy Compliance - Cyber Security and Privacy Compliance for SME's

Student Participation at SydneySEC

40 students from schools across Sydney and the Central Coast attended a dedicated program at SydneySEC. The program was designed to introduce students to offerings available in the Cyber Security Industry.

The students worked on challenging activities delivered by NSW Cyber Ambassadors, attended the keynote speaker, and networked with AISA committee members and sponsoring companies at the trade exhibition hall.

MENTOR PROGRAM COHORT 1 -10 September 2022 to 31 March 2023

The inaugural Cohort of the NSW Business Exchange Mentor Program finished on 25 May with a celebratory event recognising the importance of the program. Over six months, 20 Mentees were matched with highly industry-experienced Mentors imparting knowledge, coaching, and progressing their Mentee’s professional journey in the industry. Members of the AISA membership were quick to sign up as Mentors acknowledging the importance of this program to the Cyber Security industry.

The benefits were not limited to the Mentee as Mentors credited the program for the opportunity to keep up with developments in Cyber Security, improve coaching leadership and communication skills and broaden networks.

For the Mentees gratitude was expressed to their Mentors for their dedication and commitment to the program, practical advice received and positive influence on their careers.

The program’s attendees were recognised for completing the program at a dedicated event attended by industry executives from Corporate and Government.

"The program gave me access to an excellent mentor that I would not have met otherwise. The wisdom available to me was instrumental in developing my cyber career. As a result, I have moved from a blended system admin/cyber role into a dedicated cyber-only role and have also taken up postgrad studies in cyber." Mentee, Nathan Reeves

MENTORING PROGRAM CELEBRATION – 26 April 2023

The NSW Cyber Business Exchange hosted the Mentoring Program Celebration event to officially close the first 6-month cohort of the Mentoring Program which ran from September 2022 to March 2023 and welcomed new participants into the May 2023 Program.

The presentations by Maroun El Khoury (Investment NSW), Branko Ninkovic (AISA Board), Joyce Harkness (Information Services Group) and Daniel Djundjek (Orca Tech) spoke about the importance of mentoring for personal and professional development, as it provides guidance, support and encouragement to individuals seeking to learn and grow. They shared personal stories of their experience with mentoring and offered passionate insights and lessons they have learned, which has seen them succeed in their particular fields.

The face to face meeting was a great networking experience to allow for participants to meet other likeminded participants where they could share knowledge and learn from each other.

“I have a reverse mentor now. I am being mentored by a 15 year old, as I realise it is important to be open to learn about what we don’t know. They help teach me about the younger generations and society changes.”
Maroun El Khoury (Investment NSW)

CYBERCON CANBERRA – 20-22 March 2023

The NSW Cyber Business Exchange sponsored 2 booths and hosted 6 NSW cyber businesses to co-exhibit at the conference. The event was a huge success with many dynamic presentations and workshops across several streams and great attendance in the exhibition space. Overall, there were over 1,500 registrations for the event.

The partnering businesses were inundated with enquiry and had great conversations with potential clients. Those businesses included:

CISOnline – Uplift your cyber security construct through our advanced Essential 8 consultancy services and our cyber security uplift program.
Datcom Cloud – A proactive partner that takes care of your cybersecurity end to end, from risk assessments and procurement, to design, development, and deployment, through to 24x7 threat monitoring and management.
Galah Cyber – Secures the software that runs Australia.
Guardware – Provides content level data visibility, control and protection of all sensitive data all the time under all conditions including theft, ransomed or intentionally distributed through a supply chain.
Tikabu – Specialises in cyber security essentials and utilises the 'Glue' SaaS platform to offer services such as cyber asset management, cyber dashboards, and user access reviews.
ViCyber – Predict your cyber loss.

“The event gave us a great opportunity to showcase our product to a wider audience and to meet other NSW based cyber businesses. Meeting Investment NSW and discussing potential future initiatives was also a unique opportunity which otherwise we wouldn't have had access to. We have exchanged contacts and connected with some of the attendees, with some interested in a live demo of our product.”
Charbel Aghnatios (Tikabu)

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY PANEL – 16 March 2023

In the spirit of working towards a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, as well as to celebrate women’s achievements and raise awareness against bias, it was fantastic for the NSW Cyber Business Exchange to jointly host with the NSW AISA Branch the International Women’s Day panel. The discussion emphasised the contribution women make to the workforce, they provided tips and techniques on how to back yourself and get the support from both women and men in the industry. The panel was inspirational and provided motivation, individual learnings and they showed that every woman has a unique story. There was an overwhelming sentiment that by supporting each other, we can create a world where all women can thrive.

The incredible panel of inspirational female leaders were:

Joss Howard – Partner | McGrathNicol (Moderator)
Anurag Kanwar – Compliance and Continuous Improvement Director | Group Colleges Australia
Gergana Winzer – Partner, Enterprise Advisory – Cyber Services | KMPG
Persia Navidi – Partner | Hicksons Lawyers
Dr Sarah Morrision – CEO | Morrisec

“It was the best and most genuine International Women’s Day panel I ever attended. Well done to all the amazing and inspiring panellists.”
Jihad Zein (Toll Group)

NSW GOING GLOBAL EXPORT PROGRAM – 15 February 2023

This virtual information session with the experts was to promote, explain and discuss Investment NSW’s Going Global Export Program, designed for NSW cybersecurity SMEs to expand to the United Kingdom.

Applications were open for eligible cyber businesses to apply for free support to gain business in the UK, including potential partner search and introductions, plus participation at London Tech Week from 12-16 June 2023.

Dedicated staff from Investment NSW, based in NSW and the UK, guide a cohort of NSW cyber businesses through the 14-week Going Global program, starting in April 2023. You can hear from previous Tech program participants in this 2-min video.

As a global leader in cybersecurity, the UK offers the largest market in Europe, with the added benefit of an exceptional pipeline of talent and investment opportunities. In 2020, the sector was worth £8.9 billion (A$15.57 billion).

This session was for anyone thinking about expanding to the UK, or who is already working with this region and was interested to find out more about this Program from the panel:

Johnny Henwood: Tech Export Advisor – Investment NSW
Emma Stevens: NSW Trade & Investment Director – London
Michael Warnock: Chief Commercial Officer – Daltrey Pty Ltd

The session covered the benefits, how they can assist businesses with contacts, introductions, understanding the basics and how to navigate the ecosystem.

FINDINGS FROM THE CYBER SECURITY SECTOR COMPETITIVENESS PLAN (SCP) – 31 January 2023

The Sector Competitiveness Plan (developed by AustCyber) is a critical piece of annual research, developed with over 60 Australian cyber security companies and experts, that helps shape and inform the sector within Australia.

During the webinar on the findings from the 2022 SCP, we heard from Jason Murrell, who is the Group Executive of AustCyber. AustCyber are a business that is tasked with assisting the development of the cyber ecosystem from start-up to export overseas.

Jason outlined the key insights from the research, including:

An overview of the current state of the industry
Key areas in desperate need of support, including education, exporting, skills shortage, revenue growth and spend
Future opportunities that need to be focused on to grow revenue, including improving the startup environment, bolster domestic procurement and export capability, and better attract local and international talent

The session was well received and there was a lengthy question and answer portion of the event that centred around training and how to ensure we have a workforce.

SPACE FOCUS GROUP – 8 December 2022

The Space Focus Group was launched in an intimate roundtable session, with the aim to bring cyber companies into the Space industry ecosystem, to share knowledge and explore opportunities for collaboration. The group walked through the strategies and programs of the space organisations, to discover how cyber SME businesses can engage with and contribute to the space sector value chain.

It was a small face-to-face gathering which ensured there was sufficient exchange of information that generated constructive conversation. The discussion was facilitated by the Investment NSW Space team and the following Space associations:

National Space Industry Hub – Julie Autuly Australia’s leading incubator for startups and scaleups working on science and engineering innovations, or deep tech.

NSW Space Research Network (SRN) – David Reynolds A university-led initiative designed to support collaboration and coordination between government, industry and research organisations to deliver space research and research translation to industry.

SmartSat CRC– Tim Parsons A consortium of industry and research organisations that develop game changing technologies to bootstrap Australia’s space industry.

Space Industry Association of Australia – James Brown The national peak body for Australia’s space industry and space economy.

Spry Squared – Stephen Spry | Case study A multi-dimensional Marketing and IT Consulting firm providing clients with best-in-class cybersecurity solutions.

There was a good mix of cyber-SMEs and Primes represented in the group which made the discussions more valuable. It was good to see the connections made on the day and discussions on how they could possibly work together and collaborate in regard to tenders and assist with clearances. The next session will include space businesses so they can meet with cyber businesses in person.

“This event allowed us to understand AU space industry landscape and how cyber security may potentially fit into this quite niche vertical. Also, it was beneficial to meet the representatives from different NSW bodies supporting the space industry as well as fellow cyber security providers.”
Andrey Arseniev (IPSec)

NEWCASTLE CYBER CHALLENGES PANEL – 7 December 2022

The in-person ‘Meet an Expert’ panel and networking event in Newcastle was held at the University of Newcastle. The panellists were Bruce White (Greater Bank), Russell Weir (Newcastle City Council) and Troy Filipcevic (Emergence Insurance) with the expert moderator being Professor Vijay Varadharajan (University of Newcastle).

During the session the Panel explored the cyber challenges organisations face when it comes to protecting their customers and community. The Panel delved into the specific cyber security issues in different sectors of the economy, from the financial sector, infrastructure, energy and insurance. They discussed what is being done and more importantly what further countermeasures and strategies are needed to curb possible attacks and get in front of what seems like a turbulent current situation.

After the discussion and questions from the audience, the delegation had the opportunity to come together to network and catch up. There was a great feeling of collaboration and community amongst the group.

“The event was great and fantastic to hear from some likeminded individuals and professions within the sector. The challenges discussed were fantastic and provided some good insights.”
Nathan Taylor (City of Newcastle)

ORANGE REGIONAL CITY EVENT – 6 December 2022

This unique ‘Meet the Experts’ event with keynote speaker, panel discussion and networking opportunity was a face-to-face event that was also live streamed. The delegation came together to collaborate with regional cyber security professionals, business and community leaders to discuss the cyber security threat landscape.

The keynote by the Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP (Assistant Minister for Defence), addressed the Australian Government’s position on cyber security and how they consider it when making plans and defence decisions. The panel of experts with current experience in the cyber security industry included Ret. Major General Dr Marcus Thompson (Australian Defence Force), Yawun Mundine (Yirigaa), Professor Ganna Pogrebna (Charles Sturt University), Andrew McInnes (OCTEC Limited) and Tim Moran (Ignite).

The panel discussion, which was moderated by Jeff Whitton (Councillor) covered:
The Australian Defence Cyber Warfare Unit Opportunities for indigenous and other diverse cohorts to work in the cyber security profession
Academic pathways and AI in cyber security
Disability employment opportunities in cyber security
How regional businesses are meeting cyber security compliance
Recruitment challengers in cyber security

“It was a great event with excellent speakers and discussion points.”
Anna Arrow (Marathon Health)

DEFENCE FOCUS GROUP – 30 November 2022

The second meeting of the Defence Group was a session on Quad Chart training. The purpose of which was for participants to be ready to present their value proposition to Defence, Aerospace and the Primes, to make the strongest first impression. The workshop was carried out by Shane Sarlin (Director | Consulting National Lead) from Deloitte. It was designed as an interactive, event where participants developed a best practice chart during the workshop.

The workshop covered market awareness:

Awareness of their value proposition and how it suits Defence/Industry needs
How to market to Defence and Aerospace
Understanding capability statements
Developing Quad Charts that communicate the business (or product) value proposition

Members of both the Defence and Space Focus Groups were invited to attend, as similar language is used for both ecosystems.

It was an excellent session, where the delegates thought the content was well delivered with real world examples. The practical element made it more engaging and meant they came away with tangible outcomes and a completed Quad Chart. Next steps for this group would be the next sequential workshop in the series – a deeper dive into the Defence structure and how the parts interrelate, including tender writing for Defence.

“The facilitator was excellent. Well developed content and well delivered with very credible real-world examples. The practical element means you come away with real, tangible outcomes - it also makes it far more engaging.”
Joe Ruggero (Vault Cloud)

CYBERCON MELBOURNE – 11-13 October 2022

The NSW Cyber Business Exchange hosted several SME cyber business from NSW to co-exhibit at CyberCon in Melbourne as part of the Program to assist businesses to grow. It gave the businesses the opportunity to display and present their product/service at the booth, where they were able to meet and network with potential customers and fellow cyber professionals.

Over the 3 day conference which was attended by over 4,000 delegates, they had access to networking, social events, the lead management system and were able to attend the educational sessions.

The partnering businesses were:

Armorlog – Software development with patented multilevel network authentication that prevents credentials phishing.
Avertro – First-to-market cyber command SaaS platform to help customers manage, measure and report on their cybersecurity performance.
Ditno– Security that protects your data on-premises and in the cloud with equal confidence.
Mercury ISS – Focused on the delivery of assessments and incident responses.

“We truly appreciate the support of the NSWCBE in showcasing what NSW and Australian cyber innovation looks like. We were able to increase our brand awareness, credibility, and engage in conversations that would otherwise have been much more difficult to arrange.”
Ian Yip (Avertro)

MENTORING PROGRAM LAUNCH – 29 September 2022

The NSW Cyber Business Exchange Mentoring Program officially kicked off at the Launch event at the end of September. The event brought the Program participants together for the opportunity to meet other like-minded Mentors and Mentees, so they could catch up and share experiences.

We were lucky to hear from the following speakers who introduced the Program and the importance of mentoring as guidance and support for people in our industry: Maroun El Khoury (Investment NSW), Branko Ninkovic (AISA Board), Daniela Fernandez (PayPal Australia) and Nathan Reeves (Huon IT). They spoke passionately and from the heart about their experiences and what mentoring means to them.

We were overwhelmed by the number of applications received in the August 2022 intake and post the event (which was opened up to anyone that was interested to learn more about the initiative) and we have already had expressions of interest for the February 2023 Program.

“This mentoring opportunity comes just at the right time for me, and I am very excited and grateful to have this chance to benefit from the wisdom and experience of my mentor. Mentoring is an immensely valuable practice, not only for the benefit of the people involved but also for their companies, and the industry as a whole.”

Nathan Reeves (Huon IT)

FOUNDER ROADSHOW – 27 September 2022

The Founder Roadshow with CyRise was an informative and interactive session, where the experts shared their honest insights and tips on starting a cyber business. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions face to face and gain first-hand knowledge of the process.

Kirstin McIntosh (COO of CyRise) lead a live Q&A with Fred Thiele (CISO of Interactive), Martin McGregor (CEO of Devicie) and Jacqui Nelson (CEO of DekkoSecure).

We had a great turnout with everyone very interested to meet the cyber founders. Anyone with a unique idea or product or who has ever thought about startups, was encouraged to reach out and talk to the CyRise team. This was in preparation for the launch of the next NSW Cyber Accelerator in Residence (AIR) Program commencing in February 2023.

The invitation to chat with CyRise directly is always open – just make an appointment with the team.

“Excellent personal experience sharing by three startup leaders for business management, rather than technical discussions. I look forward to attending upcoming workshops and networking opportunities.”
Lee Li (student)

DEFENCE FOCUS GROUP – 28 July 2022

The first meeting of the Defence Focus Group was held in Sydney on Thursday 28 July 2022. This was a follow on from the successful presence the NSW Cyber Business Exchange (NSWCBE) had at the Indo-Pacific Expo in May.

The purpose of this meeting was to share knowledge about Defence opportunities and what role Government can play to assist SME cyber businesses engage with and contribute to the defence sector value chain.

The 15 cyber businesses involved found the interaction with the Office of Defence Industry Support (ODIS) and the Investment NSW Defence team invaluable. The group heard from the experts on how to prepare their businesses, how to get noticed and what memberships they should join. They had the opportunity to network and have open discussion during the session.

Most importantly they built relationships with key people who can help guide them along the path to build their business. Feedback from the event will help to shape the future meetings for the group.

“I learned of the vast effort required to engage with Defence, especially on product or service provision for operations. It was a bit of an eye opener. I'm glad I learned about the grant program and was able to network with the Defence Team and my peers.”
Paul Domoney (Merimetso)

Participating NSW Cyber Businesses

CYBERCON CONNECT SYDNEY - 21 June 2022

The NSW Cyber Business Exchange hosted a booth at the CyberCon Connect – Sydney Conference on 21 June 2022.

It was facilitated by the AISA Sydney Branch and was designed to enable collaboration between all business groups and cyber security practitioners.

The one-day conference was an important opportunity to network and connect with potentially over 500 people to support the growth of Sydney's cyber security sector.

At the NSWCBE booth we enjoyed the chance to connect with delegates to let them know about the Program, while giving them the opportunity to sign up.

HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY PITCH YOUR BUSINESS - 21 June 2022

The NSW Cyber Business Hub hosted a roundtable event with Phil Ore, Chief Mentor and Co-CEO of 25eight, as the expert on Pitching Your Business on 21 Jun as part of CyberCon Connect – Sydney Conference.

The delegates had the unique opportunity to learn how to confidently communicate their business’ value proposition in a way that is memorable, effective and natural, and structure their pitch using a framework for success. Attendees found the session invaluable as they walked away with practical tools to improve their win rate.

Phil used great examples and encouraged interaction within the group during the presentation.

The twelve delegates that attended this session have already benefited further by progressing to one-on-one mentoring sessions with Phil, with the objective of continuing to refine a pitch that is tailored to their needs.

“After sitting through tens of 'how to pitch' sessions and reading tens of articles, Phil's session was the most valuable and enlightening. I'm grateful for having the opportunity to participate in the session.”
Rony Moshkovich (Prevasio)

INDO-PACIFIC EXPO 10-12 May 2022

The Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition was held between 10-12th May at the ICC in Sydney.

The NSW Cyber Business Exchange (the partnership between AISA and Investment NSW) was proud to host a number of the NSW AISA Members on the stand as part of the unique program.

The 4 Members (Fortifyedge, Peakhour, Daltrey and Protectera) were able to take advantage of the opportunity by having their brand on display, engaging in the sessions, being able to talk to delegates and other businesses with the aim of securing key contacts and growing their businesses.

Our presence served to increase the awareness of NSW cyber security businesses and the sector. It was a fascinating 3 days with 25,000 people through the door from the Defence sector.

“Thank you for hosting us at Indo-Pac. It was a great opportunity for our business. What we hoped to get from the show was achieved. We had good interest from Defence, SMEs and Primes. We were able to gain some conversations with end-users and customers.”
Malcolm Layton (Fortifyedge)