In Australia’s National Interest - Security of Critical Infrastructure

In this episode, we explore one of the most overlooked vulnerabilities in today’s organisations: the way familiarity, comfort and trust can blind leaders to emerging insider-related risks. Drawing on recent NPSA research and Pentagram Advisory’s insights, we unpack why insider threat often feels “unlikely,” how the psychological contract shapes behaviour long before policies do, and why point-in-t...

In this episode, we unpack one of the most critical challenges facing Australia’s essential services: understanding and managing the risks hidden within complex supply chains. Modern critical infrastructure depends on long, interconnected, and often opaque networks of suppliers — and under the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018, these dependencies are now a regulated security obligation....

Welcome to another podcast in Pentagram Advisory’s ‘In the National Interest’ series, a series in which we explore geostrategic issues relevant to the security of Australia’s critical infrastructure. In this episode we will explore the subject of the China’s waging of cognitive warfare against Australia and other Western democracies. We will explore the relevance of the threat of cognitive warfare...

Across Australia’s critical infrastructure sectors, one of the most persistent challenges under the  Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 is identifying and managing  critical workers  — those individuals whose absence, compromise, or misconduct could disrupt essential services. In this episode, Pentagram Advisory introduces the  Seven-Step Critical Worker Identification and Risk Managemen...

Why do employees sometimes go above and beyond to protect their organisation — and other times bend rules, ignore policies, or disengage from security altogether? In this episode, Pentagram Advisory explores the role of the  psychological contract  — the unwritten expectations of trust and fairness between employer and employee — and how its breakdown fuels insider threats. Drawing on research fro...

Espionage and foreign interference are now assessed as certain threats to Australia’s critical infrastructure. In this episode, Pentagram Advisory explores how insider threat programs — guided by the Protective Security Policy Framework and aligned with SOCI Act obligations — help organisations counter these risks. We unpack why people are both the first line of defence and the most attractive tar...

ESG is one of the most decisive forces shaping corporate strategy and investment worldwide. But while environmental and governance issues dominate the headlines, the social dimension — the human factor — is often overlooked. In this episode, Pentagram Advisory explores why  personnel security is the missing link in many ESG programs . We examine the risks posed by workforce vulnerabilities, inside...

In August 2025, the Australian Government announced it had evidence that the Iranian Government had directed violent criminal activities in Australia.  The activities were cited as the attacks on two Jewish sites in Australia in 2024.  In response to this evidence, the Australian Government expelled the Iranian ambassador and senior diplomatic staff, and will proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary...

Foreign interference is no longer a distant problem — it is happening here in Australia, today. In this episode, Pentagram Advisory explores the growing threat of Chinese foreign interference and its impact not only on Australia’s national security but also on everyday workplaces. Drawing on recent cases and real examples, we examine how interference targets individuals, communities, and instituti...

This episode explores the risk posed to an enterprise from the actions of trusted insiders, also known as third-parties, in the enterprise's supply chain.

Two years on from the introduction of the Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program (CIRMP) under the SOCI Act, what have we learned — and where do we go next? In this episode, Pentagram Advisory explores how organisations can use the annual CIRMP review and Board-approved report to strengthen governance, integrate SOCI-related security risks into their Enterprise Risk Management Framework,...

As organisations implement return-to-office (RTO) policies, the focus is often on productivity, collaboration, and culture. But there's another critical dimension to this shift: security. In this episode, Pentagram Advisory explores the human risks associated with organisational transitions and how poorly managed RTO directives can lead to disengagement, disgruntlement, and increased insider t...

What does it take to build a trusted workforce — one that is resilient, high-performing, and secure? In this episode, Tim Slattery and Marina Shteinberg from Pentagram Advisory explore the invisible but critical psychological contract between organisations and their people. Based on their article  Building a Trusted Workforce – Managing Human Risk with Purpose , this episode examines how trust is...

Explore how a security maturity model can strengthen your organisation’s Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program (CIRMP) under Australia’s Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (SOCI Act). In this episode, Tim Slattery and Marina Shteinberg from Pentagram Advisory unpack what a security maturity model is, why it matters, and how it provides Boards and executives with a clear, eviden...

This episode is titled: Pentagram Advisory First Anniversary –  Celebrating One Year of Collaboration This episode will explore a unique and unexpected aspect of Pentagram’s first year of operation – that is Pentagram’s connecting with other service providers that bring a natural point of collaboration with Pentagram.  This collaboration provides additional and complementary benefits for our clien...

Australian media reported in May 2025 that the leader of Australia’s Transport Workers Union (TWU) is prepared to “shut down Australian transport” in 2026 in pursuit of union claims.   In this podcast Pentagram Advisory explores the possible consequences of the TWU threat in the context of the legal obligations that came into effect on 27 March 2025 that transport sector asset owners and operators...

This episode is titled: Insider Threat – Australian Government Recognises the Need for Insider Threat Programs.   This podcast will explore the Australian Government’s efforts in recent years to mitigate insider threat in both the government and private sectors.     The key message is that there is a need for insider threat program and that need comes from recognising the potency of the insider th...

In this episode, we explore the landmark  Transport Security Amendment (Security of Australia’s Transport Sector) Act 2025  — a generational shift in how Australia secures its aviation, maritime, and offshore sectors. Join Timothy Slattery and Marina Shteinberg from Pentagram Advisory as they unpack what the TSA Act means for airports, ports, and offshore facilities. Discover how the new  all-haza...

An insider threat incident at Canberra Hospital in May 2025, in which an employee targeted another employee ,reveals critical lessons for Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program (CIRMP) compliance and personnel security under the  Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 .

In this episode, the Pentagram Advisory team breaks down what directors of responsible entities need to know about their legal obligations when approving the Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program (CIRMP) annual report. We explore board duties under the SOCI Act and Corporations Act, the importance of ongoing oversight, and offer practical recommendations for management to support board d...

Critical infrastructure is a fundamental enabler of Australia’s national security. Australian governments over decades have recognised the need to protect critical infrastructure from evolving threats as a component of national security, yet have offered policy guidance with little effective action to achieve protection.   Government has put the onus for action onto the private sector to protect n...

Observing the absence of usual or the presence of unusual: a new lens on insider threat reporting In an era dominated by surveillance tools and behavioural analytics, organisations still overlook their most powerful early warning system — people. Reporting data is a critical indicator of whether your organisation’s security measures are both proportionate and effective. It can also serve as an ear...

Written by Timothy Slattery What happens when someone inside the system, entrusted with national secrets, begins to see another country as their true allegiance? This is the dilemma posed by insider threats – trusted individuals who, whether by intent or negligence, cause harm to the organisations that rely on them. In this powerful episode,  Timothy Slattery , a former senior national security of...

In this episode, we delve into one of Australia’s most pressing national security threats — foreign interference — and its direct implications for our critical infrastructure. Drawing on insights from ASIO’s 2025 Annual Threat Assessment, this podcast unpacks how hostile foreign actors are increasingly targeting Australia’s essential systems, from energy and water to communications and transport....

In this episode, we dive into a real-world case of insider threat in Australia’s health sector — the data breach at Ambulance Victoria in March 2025, where a former staff member exploited their final day of system access to steal the personal and financial data of up to 3,000 employees. But this is not an isolated incident. We also examine the NSW Ambulance contractor convicted of selling employee...