Liam Watson

Hiring in Cyber? 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 6 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. The Aussie cyber security hiring market is competitive and moves fast. When you're hiring a cyber professional, here’s what you must get right. If you do, it’ll save you headaches and ensure a smooth process 👏 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Cyber pros know their worth. Align your expectations with market realities to attract the talent you need. 2️⃣ 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: “We need a security person” isn’t a job description. Define your role properly. Ambiguity is the enemy of easy hiring. 3️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺: Be in touch with market rates. Don’t know? Ask me. For instance, you’re not hiring a Senior Security Architect for $160,000.  4️⃣ 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: Why should a well-paid, gainfully employed cyber pro join you? If you don’t know, neither do they. Learn to articulate this. 5️⃣ 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆: Flexibility/WFH, career growth, shares, social impact, meaningful work, etc. These matter. A lot. Shout about this stuff. 6️⃣ 𝗡𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: Long, uncertain hiring processes push candidates elsewhere. Move efficiently, communicate clearly, and don’t overcomplicate it. Cyber talent isn’t short on options. If you want to hire well, give them a reason to choose you 😉 👌 #CyberSecurity #Hiring #DecipherBureau

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Had a great chat with a CEO of a reputable Cyber business today, one of the big topics we were discussing - talent shortage in Cyber. I am of the notion there is not a lack of talent (for highly specialised roles maybe....) it is all about giving the right people the opportunity Another contentious topic - Working remotely should be considered a company benefit.....

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If you saw last week Infosys joined forces with The Missing Link for $98 million!   The cybersecurity industry in Australia is becoming increasingly competitive, with significant investment pouring in. Just a year after Fujitsu’s $300 million investment into the country, Wipro also followed suit around the same time. It's not just the global giants making moves, local players like CyberCX are also gaining momentum, backed by a surge in private equity interest.   Global players are making serious moves in Australia… And this is just the beginning it seems...   Keen to hear if you think this was the right move for The Missing Link?   #Cybersecurity #TechAcquisitions #IndustryTrends

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😲 Defence x Microsoft $495 million Azure deal just got a bit more interesting... Microsoft is co-investing in the department’s cloud adoption and digital transformation efforts. 💰 Through its Enterprise Customer Investment Fund (ECIF), Microsoft will provide financial support for pilots, cloud migration, and broader transformation aligned with Defence’s digital strategy. 🤝 While the specific figures haven't been revealed, the move signals deeper collaboration between the tech giant and one of the government’s largest cloud customers. The co-investment supports two key Azure-based initiatives already underway: 1️⃣ SAP-based ERP platform, now live with modules for logistics, maintenance, finance, and procurement 2️⃣ Microsoft 365 ecosystem (Vera), currently being expanded for broader collaboration and productivity Despite Microsoft's layoffs, there are a lot of opportunities in the pipeline for Cloud skilled jobseekers in both Defence and Microsoft. https://lnkd.in/gw9dk9sM

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🚨 Australia & New Zealand rank among the most phish-prone regions in the world. As I mentioned in a previous post, cyber threats often hide in plain sight, which is exactly what makes them so dangerous. According to KnowBe4’s 2025 Phishing by Industry Benchmarking Report, organisations in Australia and New Zealand had some of the highest phishing vulnerability rates globally. In large companies (1,000+ employees), 44.6% of users clicked on phishing links before any security training. Across the broader region, the baseline phish-prone rate was 36.8%, the third highest worldwide. But here’s the good news: After just 90 days of security awareness training, that number dropped to 19.9%. And with a full year of continued training, it fell even further to just 4.9%. The report analysed 67.7 million phishing simulations across 14.5 million users from 62,400 organisations and the results speak volumes about the impact of consistent, targeted cybersecurity education. Want to see what else the report uncovered? Scroll down to see the other big takeaways from the report!    #EmployeeTraining #AustraliaCyber #WorkplaceSecurity #CyberResilience #NewZealandTech #FiveEyesAlliance

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☀ Exciting Developments in North West Business! ☀ Happy Friday everyone! The North West region is buzzing with exciting business news against the backdrop of beautiful weather this week. Here are some key highlights: 📣 NCC Group finalised the sale of Fox Crypto to CR Group for £65m, focusing on core cyber security services. 📣 HSS Hire Group divested its Irish business to Grafton Group plc for £26.2m, enhancing its focus on UK operations. 📣 Spire Healthcare Group plc acquired Acorn Occupational Health Ltd for £3.3m, expanding its presence in the occupational health sector. 📣 THG launched a refinancing initiative, securing £90m to reduce debt and support future growth. 📣 Denholm Good Logistics expanded by acquiring Quay Holdings Ltd and Quay Cargo Services Ltd in Northern Ireland. 📣 DSW Ventures invested £415,000 in Fireflai®, a Manchester-based software company addressing fragmented product data. 📣 Cowgills, part of the Sumer Group, acquired Wigan-based NRB, supporting a 25% growth target in the North West. 📣 genedrive raised £1.23m to strengthen its working capital and commercial footprint. 📣 DC Norris & Company Ltd enhanced its industrial cooking equipment capabilities by acquiring Advanced Engineering in Oldham. The surge of activity and growth in our region is truly remarkable! These deals showcase the vibrant business landscape in the North West, from strategic sales to fundraising initiatives. The investments in Fireflai, expansion efforts by Cowgills and Denholm Good Logistics underscore a dedication to innovation and progress, bolstering our local economy. Congratulations to all involved in these exciting developments!

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🚀 Tune in to the latest Hubscale Podcast 🚀 I had the pleasure of chatting to Bashyam A. at Sumo Logic, where we discussed how their latest innovations are helping security teams (who are drowning in incidents) cut through the noise, prioritise real threats, and boost operational efficiency. 🤖 A must-watch for anyone looking to future-proof their security operations!  🔐 Link: https://lnkd.in/dsB8j9Mj #AI #CyberSecurity #SOC #SumoLogic #SecurityInnovation #Hubscale

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The recent Qantas data breach is a reminder that cybersecurity isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a non-negotiable. Despite Qantas’ own systems remaining secure, a third-party platform exposed the personal data of millions of customers. What this highlighted to me is the importance of spending across all areas of security in a preventative manner. Unfortunately from speaking with lots of Cyber leaders in my network it seems as though when a company in successful in reducing the number of Cyber breaches this tends to result in "streamlining" the cyber functions. It's important to note that cutting cyber spend today could cost you millions tomorrow. #CyberSecurity #Qantas #DataBreach #RiskManagement #Leadership #CISO #CyberResilience #DigitalTrust

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What do CISOs actually want in a job? 🤔 I have been speaking to and placing CISOs for the last 13 years. Whilst each and every one I have spoken to has had their own requirements and expectations from a new job - there is also a lot of crossover in what they are looking for. Some of the common requirements I have found include: ✅ Fair Compensation: Does the pay match what you want this person to achieve? ✅ Ability to actually influence change: Does this role report into the right people (Board) and have enough influence in the business or is it a middle-management role titled incorrectly? ✅ Investment in Security: Does the company actually want to invest in security or are they ticking a box by hiring someone in security? ✅ Ability to build a team: Can this role build a team (big or small) or will they be isolated and doing 3 jobs in 1? Now this is a small selection of the many requirements I have heard, but all seem to come up. As a CISO or Security Leader looking for a new role - what are the most important requirements for you?

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The #1 mistake Big 4 Security Consultants make when aiming for their dream Partner role? 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 12 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞 Instead, start with the end in mind by asking yourself > Are you building the skillsets towards generating a $10M+ USD book of business? > Are you nurturing internal relationships that help you originate and execute deals? The worst outcome? Landing that Partner role—and getting let go within six months because you weren’t set up to succeed. That’s a tough one to bounce back from. I guess it applies to all professional service roles. Insight from a recent conversation with Richard Kershaw, former Senior Partner at Deloitte *** The next Cyber Risk meetup is on April 11th Friday 18:00 at Microsoft. Registration details in the comments

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As organisations, adopting Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), Identity & Access Management (IAM) tools is no longer just a consideration but is a core part of the security strategy. IAM tools must now evolve to support dynamic access decisions, context-aware authentication and real-time monitoring. Why Zero Trust is the Future of Cybersecurity? “Never trust, always verify.” That’s the Zero Trust security model; and by 2025 at least 60% of large enterprises will be using it. This is because perimeter security is essentially now dead ith remote work, cloud computing, and BYOD policies, attackers no longer “break in”, they log in. Zero Trust means: No automatic access - every request is verified Least privilege access - employees only see what they need Continuous authentication - because threats evolve in real time Drop me a message or get in touch at gclarke@montash.be if you're currently looking for your next position or a partner who can provide you with top cyber security talent to join your business!

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2025 is becoming the year of the Cyber Attack. 29% of organisations admit to having been subject to a major IT Security or Cyber Security attack in the last 2 years. This represents a 26% increase in our year-on-year findings, and breaks a broad downward trend we have reported in the last 5 years. So who’s keeping us awake at night? Overwhelmingly, it’s Organised Cyber Criminals. This hasn’t changed in the last 3 years. In 2025, 84% of organisations reported that it is this type of threat which gives them the greatest cause for concern. But there are new players in the game. Concerns around Amateur Cyber Criminals have steadily increased year-on-year, with 39% of organisations reporting that this is now a major cause for concern. Perhaps most worryingly though, the threats we face are getting closer to home. The largest year-on-year increase reported by organisations to be a major cause for concern when it comes to Cyber Attacks comes from their Competitors, with 15% of organisations now citing this as something they see as a serious threat, up from only 4% in 2022. And as if all of that isn’t enough to worry about, arguably the one that would hurt the most, 42% of organisations reported that attacks from Insiders are among the threats they are most concerned about, up from 33% in 2022. #HarveyNashDigitalLeadershipReport

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AI and AI Agents have been a huge discussion over the past 12 months across all cyber events, roundtables and discussion. George Kurtz, Crowdstrike CEO, is doubling down on the use of AI to reshape the company, increase efficiency and scale operations. We've had multiple conversations with SOC leaders who have echoed, if they don't find a way to utilise AI, they will get left behind. I recorded a Trident Talks in Q1 with Vaughan Carey who highlighted that AI has helped CloudGuard automate all L1 responsibilities and part of L2's - ensuring they're able to build a lean SOC moving forward. (attached below) If you're already a SOC analyst or dream of becoming one, AI needs to be a skillset you develop moving forward. As AI capability progresses, we will see SOC's favour engineers over analysts, Acumen Cyber being a great example. https://lnkd.in/eunVCVkj

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Every boardroom is talking about cyber risk. But here’s the dirty secret: your hiring strategy IS your cyber security strategy. 3.5M unfilled cyber roles globally (Cybersecurity Ventures). An average data breach cost $3.35M on average in Australia (IBM). Yet talent churn is at a record high. So what happens? Overworked teams. Missed patches. Burnout. That’s how companies get breached. The key thing here is: Tools don’t fix this. Vendors don’t fix this. ‼️People fix this‼️ And right now, there aren’t enough of them. If you’re a CISO or exec, the risk is clear: your hiring strategy is your security strategy! Ignore it, and you’ll be in the headlines. What’s harder right now: finding good security people, or keeping the ones you already have? #CyberSecurity #TechHiring #Leadership

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Week 12:  Having looked at Sola Security, Harmony Intelligence and Pentera last week, this week I’ll be looking at another 4 super exciting start-ups that have raised impressive rounds.    I don't know if the companies below are hiring but I always look at 3 key parameters- PRODUCT - LEADERSHIP - GROWTH - here we go!! Privy - Venture Round $15 Million led by Ribbit Capital  Privy provides wallet infrastructure for developers, enabling them to integrate crypto wallets, sign transactions, and build onchain applications via a simple API. It supports embedded wallets across multiple blockchains with features like gas sponsorship, portable accounts, and secure key management. The platform also offers progressive authentication, identity management, and integrations with fiat-to-crypto rails and smart wallet signers. Leadership - 🏕️ Henri Stern, Asta L. https://www.privy.io/ Arcade.dev - Seed $12 Million led by Laude Ventures  Arcade is an AI tool-calling platform that securely connects AI to APIs, data, and applications, enabling AI to take actions on behalf of users. It provides pre-built connectors for services like Gmail and Slack, along with a custom tool SDK for integrations. The platform supports agent authentication, tool evaluations, and deployment across cloud, VPC, or on-prem. Arcade simplifies AI-powered automation by handling authentication and API interactions. Leadership - Alex Salazar, Sam Partee, Ben Sabrin https://www.arcade.dev/   Orion Security - Seed $6 Million led by PICO Venture Partners Orion Security pioneers a next-generation data security platform that is purpose-built to identify and mitigate risks in real-time. Our proprietary AI model continuously identifies, investigates and detects risky flows, recommends policies and enables automatically enforcing them in real-time. Orion streamlines data security for security teams by eliminating manual policies, false positives and false negatives, so you can focus on real risks in real-time. Leadership - Nitay Milner, Yonatan Kreiner https://orionsec.io/ VulnCheck - Series A $12 Million led by Ten Eleven Ventures  VulnCheck is a cyber threat intelligence platform that provides exploit and vulnerability intelligence directly into the tools, processes, programs, and systems that need it to outpace adversaries. Its platform uses vulnerability intelligence that predicts avenues of attack with speed and accuracy and prioritizes vulnerabilities that matter based on the threat landscape to help businesses take quick action before an attack. Leadership - Anthony Bettini, Jay Wallace, Jacob Baines, Thomas Bain  https://vulncheck.com/ #cybersecurity #vc #funding #growth #leadership #gtmhiring #ai #datasecurity #threatintelligence #devsecops #blockchain #cyberthreats #cryptosecurity #infosec #riskmanagement #securitystartups #onchain

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Cyware and Microsoft join forces to integrate threat intelligence across Sentinel and Defender 🤝 The integration supports bi-directional STIX/TAXII-based data sharing and validation and addresses data silos and manual processes to accelerate detection and response. Defender feeds now enrich Cyware for faster triage and investigation, with the partnership expanding Cyware’s presence within the Microsoft Security and Azure ecosystem. This comes a month after Cyware became a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) -- How might tighter threat intel integration reshape the workflow of modern SOC teams? 📧 j.walsh@lawrenceharvey.com

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🎙️ The Security Space | Episode 99 | Peter Smith | How to Implement & Integrate GRC & Security 🤝 GRC is often seen as a separate function from security, but when done right it becomes the backbone of a proactive and aligned cybersecurity strategy. So why do so many companies struggle (or choose to avoid) to integrate the two? 🎧 To walk us through how to do this on The Security Space Podcast, today we are joined by IFX Payments Head of Information Security, Peter Smith.

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“We’re required to interview the internal candidate first.” It’s a common scenario that I see very often with my best clients and one that often slows down the hiring process. Recently, I supported a CISO in securing a highly specialised external candidate who perfectly aligned with their team’s needs. The brief was clear. The skill gaps were defined. The external individual was ready to move. But before they could proceed, internal policy required them to meet with an internal applicant, despite everyone knowing it wasn’t the right long-term fit. Two weeks were lost. Candidate momentum dipped. And the business risked losing the individual they really needed. Fortunately, we held the process together. The right hire was made. In competitive markets like cybersecurity, speed matters. Confidence in your hiring strategy matters even more. If you're seeing internal interviews slow things down, I'd be curious to hear how you're managing it.

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