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  • Ahead in the Cloud: Bringing Security Out of the Basement and into the Boardroom with Darren Kane of nbn Australia

    May 02, 2023
  • Darren Kane, Chief Security Officer with nbn Australia, discusses Australia’s mission to narrow the digital gap, the need for C-suite involvement in security solutions, and the mix of challenges and opportunities AI brings to the security industry.

    Hosted by Chad Watt, researcher and writer with the Infosys Knowledge Institute.

    “The nbn's mission is to lift the digital capability of all Australians, to actually ensure that we minimize the digital divide between those that can have connectivity and those that cannot.”

    “As Nbn grows, the target on our back grows, which means the target on my back grows. That means as we connect more and more people… we have to ensure that we are reliable, that we are resilient, and we are secure.”

    Instead of calling them ‘insider threat,’ I call them a ‘trusted insider.’ It's the same aspect of what I do to actually manage the risk of that individual, but instead of them being an IT, they're a TI. There's a simple example of giving the C-suite comfort that we are an enabler, instead of someone who only worries about the downside. ”

    “My first piece of advice is - understand the risks.”

    “There's an opportunity for our industry, particularly the security risk industry, to catastrophize the risks that are represented by AI machine-based learning. But I also understand the opportunities that AI may present. So always remember the yin and the yang is my message there.”

    - Darren Kane

Insights

  • The nbn is Australia's government-owned broadband network. It has connected the continent to a single, secure and resilient network of broadband connectivity. Our network out here carries more than 86% of the nation's data, and it touches more than 17 million people every day with more than 8.6 million homes and businesses currently connected and a further 12 million premises ready to connect.
  • The nbn's mission is to lift the digital capability of all Australians, to actually ensure that we minimize the digital divide between those that can have a connectivity and those that cannot.
  • A business leader, a CEO, a COO, someone in the C-suite, has to not abrogate the accountability totally to their security lead. They have to invest themselves in what it is the actual SME running security is doing on their behalf.
  • Work with your board and C-suite to clearly identify risk appetite for the organization. Then work with your internal organization to address those risks Identify what controls we are utilizing to either reduce or accept the risk because we've put mitigating controls in place.
  • There is so much noise at the moment around the concerns and worries about AI and where it'll take us and what it will do. There's an opportunity for the security risk industry to catastrophize the risks that are represented by AI machine-based learning. But I also understand the opportunities that AI may present.
  • I think that the engagement and the support we get from C-suite and board on how we're actually managing the risk is incredibly important. It gives us that recognition and the support and resources we need to manage it effectively.
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Show Notes

  • 00:12

    Chad introduces himself and Darren.

  • 00:55

    Darren explains nbn Australia’s mission and purpose.

  • 02:56

    How did your previous work prepare you for work in telecom and information security?

  • 04:08

    How is it that business leaders need to think differently about security in their technology business today?

  • 07:08

    What does security look like in 2023?

  • 08:37

    How do you do get compliance hygiene right and how do you help leaders and individual contributors buy into that?

  • 10:16

    Darren explains what younger, digital natives “get” and what they still need to learn from people who remember the analog days.

  • 11:52

    How do AI, generative AI and other emerging technologies related to transformer architecture and large language models impact security?

  • 14:41

    Darren discusses the need for C-suite involvement in and support for security solutions.

  • 16:23

    Chad and Darren talk about the portrayal of police and cyber security in television and film.

About Darren Kane

Darren Kane has been the Chief Security Officer at nbn since 2015. Under his leadership, the nbn Security Group has become a converged center of physical and cyber security enabling Australia’s biggest critical infrastructure owner to better protect its people and assets against evolving threats.

Prior to nbn™, Darren served in Federal Government Law Enforcement Agencies for over 19 years in the Australian Federal Police and financial markets regulator the Australian Securities & Investment Commission, and 11 years at Telstra Corporation in varied security management roles culminating in 5 years as the Director, Corporate Security & Investigations.

Darren was appointed as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Information Technology, Faculty of Science, at Deakin University in 2020. Darren has a Master’s in Business Administration, a Diploma of Financial Markets and is a Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors. In 2020 Darren was awarded Male Champion of Change at the AWSNA (Australian Women’s Security Network Awards).

Connect with Darren Kane