AUSCERT Cyber Security Conference to highlight AI disruption

The AUSCERT Cyber Security Conference will be held at The Star on the Gold Coast from 20 to 23 May 2025, with over 50 speakers and approximately 900 delegates expected to attend.

Marek Kowalkiewicz, Professor and Chair in Digital Economy at QUT Business School, and Jess Modini, Cyber Epidemiologist at UNSW Canberra, have been announced as keynote speakers at the event.

Professor Kowalkiewicz is recognised among the Top 100 Global Thought Leaders in AI by thinkers360 and has experience leading global innovation teams in Silicon Valley, serving as a research program lead and founding research manager of SAP's Machine Learning lab in Singapore, and working as a research fellow at Microsoft Research Asia. His latest book, "The Economy of Algorithms: AI and the Rise of the Digital Minions," received the Australian Business Book Awards (Technology) 2024.

Professor Kowalkiewicz will deliver a keynote address examining the uncharted territories of artificial intelligence (AI) and its shifting role in society. He plans to discuss how AI has transformed from a tool into an influential factor reshaping human life and societal structures. "In a thought-provoking keynote he will explore how AI is reshaping our world, our work, and even our sense of agency. He will take delegates beyond cybersecurity to glimpse the broader societal shifts underway."

Jess Modini brings over 13 years of experience across the Royal Australian Air Force, government, academia, and the private sector. Her work focuses on AI-driven threat modelling and malware propagation at scale, and she is known for her expertise in cyber resilience, intelligence sharing, and interdisciplinary approaches to cybersecurity challenges.

The conference will be opened by Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, Australia's National Cyber Security Coordinator. As the government's senior official overseeing cyber resilience, she will be the first keynote speaker of the event. "A leader at the forefront of national cyber strategy, the Lieutenant General will share the Australian Government's vision for strengthening national resilience and coordination in response to the evolving cyber threat landscape."

Adam Spencer will serve as Master of Ceremonies across the four-day event, which also includes a Gala Dinner in The Star Ballroom.

The agenda features more than 50 speakers and workshop hosts, such as Matthew Gurr, Region Lead and Senior Security Engineer at Amazon Web Services; Melina Ryan, Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft; Chathura Abeydeera, Director of Consulting and Offensive Cybersecurity Services at KPMG Australia; Kelsy Luengen, Security Influencer at SEEK; James Young, Principal Security Strategist at Splunk CISCO; Kyle Jackson, Cyber Security Strategy and Architecture Consultant at Sekuro; Kylie Watson, Head of Security – CISO for the APJ MEA Region at DXC Technology; Alex Tilley, Global Threat Research Coordinator at Okta; and Louise Hanna, General Manager at Excite Cyber.

The event will provide delegates and the media with opportunities to listen to presentations, participate in workshops, and capture content featuring the keynote speakers and other prominent cybersecurity professionals. Approximately 900 delegates from across Australia and the region are anticipated to participate in the conference's sessions and networking activities.

The conference programme also includes a dynamic exhibitor hall, puppy cuddle activities, interactive LEGO workshops, lock picking activities, arcade games and other interactive experiences.