Women in Security

Duncan Alderson

Director, Cyber Security, PwC

Duncan is a Director within PwC Australia's Cyber Security practice. He has nearly two decades of experience in Cyber Security and has worked in United Kingdom, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia.

During this time he has worked with many household names on multinational projects, designing, implementing and testing large scale networks in Corporate and ISP environments and implementing security solutions in enterprise and
operational networks.

Duncan is an Advisory Board member of the SANS Institute, and teaches the SANS SEC511: Continuous Monitoring and Security Operations and SANS SEC 660: Advanced Penetration Testing, Exploit Writing, and Ethical Hacking courses via the SANS Mentor program.

In the past 7 years he has specialised within the Energy, Utilities and Resources sector, specifically in Security Architecture and Penetration Testing in Operational Technology environments and was the lead author to PwC’s Securing Operational Technology assets thought leadership paper.

Lana Tosic

Co-Founder - National Director CCM New Zealand

In the past nineteen years Lana held various security roles focusing on strategic alignment of information security and technology across Government and Defence. Lana has expertise in Security Strategy, Information Security Policy, Cyber Security Incident Management and Response, Industrial Control Systems Security, Audits, Intrusion Detection Systems, Systems Integration, Security Awareness Training and Engagement.

Lana is currently works for NZ Crown Law as InfoSec Performance and Assurance Lead.

Lana is involved in a range of voluntary activities that support InfoSec community including mentoring, as well as being Co-founder and Founding Board Member of New Zealand Information Security Awards iSANZ
Co- Founder and Director of Cyber Century Mentoring

Author and co-author of :
New Zealand Security Incident Management Guide for Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) Carnegie Mellon University SEI and GCSB May 10, 2013
The NCSC Voluntary Cyber Security Standards for Industrial Control Systems v.1.0 GCSB March 10, 2014
Industrial Control Systems Cyber Security Framework Independent, July 7 2015

Joanne Cooper

Founder and Managing Director of ID Exchange

Joanne Cooper, is the Founder and Managing Director of ID Exchange – an Australian privacy and data governance service provider founded on the premise that individuals ought to be able to control what happens to their personal information – that we, as citizens, have digital rights and that our consent should form the basis of our data-driven interactions which also led to ID Exchange's A/NZ partnership with leading digital platform firm digi.me.

Joanne has an extensive technology background and has experienced - and led - some superb opportunities in Information Technology and digital transformation. She’s one of those rare industry professionals that is called “tri-lingual” – she knows the tech inside and out and speaks the language of systems; she also has her head around the digital economy and the increasingly technical language in that space; and, importantly, as a passionate advocate for meaningful consent to underpin digital interactions, Joanne speaks the largely principle-based language of a privacy professional.

David Owen

Partner, Cyber Risk Advisory, Deloitte

David is a father, husband, dog owner and cyclist with a day job in cyber security. David has spent the last 11 years serving the leadership of Australian organisations to understand cyber risk and to make informed decisions on how to deploy resources. He has also supported many clients to reduce cyber risk through transformation programs that target emerging issues such as cyber culture, incident readiness and third-party risk. Prior to Deloitte, David spent 5 years as the Head of Information Security for MBDA UK, the main designer and manufacturer of guided missiles for UK armed forces.

Christine F Miller AMBCI MAIES

Consultant, Business Continuity Manager, B4Crisis

Chris has worked as a volunteer with Jacqui Loustau and others to found the Australian Women in Security Network (AWSN). She has served in national leadership roles for AWSN and continues to be one of AWSN Canberra’s Chapter Co-Leads.

For the past 13 years, Chris has specialised in business continuity management. She has worked in Australian governments, businesses and not-for-profit organisations ranging in size from 2 to more than 20,000 employees. Chris previously served as a Queensland police officer, is a Member of the Australian Institute of Emergency Services (MAIES) and an Associate Member of the Business Continuity Institute (AMBCI).

Her passions include encouraging women to take up the challenges of careers in security and to support them throughout their careers into leadership roles and mentoring.

Ajoy Ghosh

Advisor, Alcheme Pty Ltd

Honoured by AusCERT as one of three a finalists for the 2015 AusCERT Awards, by ISC2 as Australia’s Senior IT Security Professional for 2009 and by ISACA for achieving the top score in the world for the CISA examination, Ajoy Ghosh has 20+ years experience in cyber security. After graduating as a Computer Engineer, he spent a number of years in various capacities in law enforcement, banking, consultancy and government. He currently leads Alcheme Pty Ltd, an Australian firm specialising in cyber security advisory and computer forensic expert witness services.

Ajoy is the author of Standard Australia’s Handbook 171 Guidelines on the Management of IT Evidence (now part of ISO 27037) and co-author of Handbook 231 Information Security Risk Management Guidelines (now ISO 27005). He advises a number of industry and government committees on cyber security and terrorism. He also lectures in cybercrime, computer evidence and cyber warfare to post-graduate law and international studies students. He is currently teaching forensics on the Master of Cyber Security program at the Australian Defence Force Academy.

David Gee

Regional CISO - Head of Cyber Security Asia Pacific, HSBC Asia Pacific

David is Head of Cybersecurity for HSBC Asia Pacific. He has worked on transformation from the CIO position for the last 19 years. Before joining HSBC, David was CIO and SVP at Metlife Japan, responsible for 8 million customers for the insurer’s largest retail market.

David won CIO of the Year 2014, at Credit Union of Australia for successfully completing a large transformation programme that delivered new Core Banking, Online and Mobile Banking systems along with a total infrastructure revamp.

David has a strong fintech background. He has been an advisor to many startups and consulted for VC firms. He has also been a partner-level IT consultant with KPMG, EY and ICG.

David has been a regular writer for numerous IT publications including CIO Australia, Computerworld, ITNews and CSO (Cyber Security) magazines.

Bonnie Butlin

Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Security Partners’ Forum (SPF)

Bonnie is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Security Partners’ Forum (SPF), the first-of-its-kind agile international network of security professionals, bridging all domains and disciplines of security. Under the SPF banner Bonnie created the Women in Security and Resilience Alliance (WISECRA - which engages a growing network of women in security and resilience associations/groups globally), and the Canadian Cybersecurity Alliance (CCA), which has since become the largest inter-association cyber initiative in history.

Bonnie also serves as part of the Expert Network in Cybersecurity with the World Economic Forum. In 2019, Bonnie was invited to be a member of the Advisory Council (and named a Fellow) for the newly created Institute for Strategic Risk Management.

Since 2013 Bonnie has received 20 international and national-level awards and accolades related to security and resilience including the prestigious “Women of the Decade” Award presented at the Women Economic Forum in 2018. Some of Bonnie’s other more recent awards and accolades include:


Cover Feature in the November edition of Spotlight Magazine titled “Canada’s Queen of Security”, as well as the Cover Feature in the June / July Special Edition of Sovereign Magazine titled “Canada’s First Lady of Security”;

Recipient of the A.D. Dunton Alumni Award of Distinction, Carleton University’s highest alumni honour.

Recipient of the Executive Women's Forum’s 2018 Women of Influence Award (Private Solutions Provider)

Bonnie is regularly sought after as an international speaker based on her expertise on topics including leadership, security, resilience and other related fields,. Bonnie has spoken at numerous venues across Canada and globally including the Economic Club of Canada, the National Security College in Canberra, Australia, and the Parliament of Canada and the Senate. In 2017 and 2018 Bonnie was invited to participate in the invitation-only Halifax International Security Forum.

Bonnie also currently sits on a variety of committees, working groups and editorial boards, such as the Cybersecurity Journal (Henry Stuart Publications) which she was recently published in as part of their Women in Cybersecurity Special Edition (Summer 2018).

Bonnie’s educational achievements are numerous including the following a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Carleton University; a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Calgary; a Graduate Certificate in Corporate Security Executive Leadership from the Burrill Green Business School (UK); and most recently an Advanced certificate in Strategic Planning & Leadership for security at the University of Georgetown (in partnership with the International Security Management Association (ISMA)).

Darren Pauli

Security Special Projects - Telstra

Darren is an information security reporter with more than a decade's experience in the beat. He came to Telstra's cyber security unit after serving as an infosec correspondent for various tech-focused publications. You'll find Darren in his spare time pursuing all things fitness and breaking things on his motorbike and around the house.

Peter Cooper

Director, Cyber and Chief Information Security Officer at the University of NSW.

Peter is the Director, Cyber and Chief Information Security Officer at the University of NSW.

UNSW is a top-tier university in Australia as a member of the Australian ‘Group of Eight’. Established in 1949, it is ranked 4th in Australia, 45th in the world, and 2nd in New South Wales according to the 2018 QS World University Rankings.[5]

Peter joined UNSW in 2018 to design and deliver a right-sized IT Cyber Uplift and Awareness Program across the university.

Peter is a 25 year veteran of IT Risk & Security, having previously been the head of IT Security at Macquarie Bank, the RBA, Woolworths, GWA, and Inghams. He is a regular presenter at Australian and international conferences. He has been a member of the Inter-Bank Working Group on Credit Card Fraud, represented APAC on the Board of Advisers to the PCI Security Standards Council, and was a member of the planning committee for the Australian CyberStorm exercises.

Matt Tett

Managing Director of Enex Testlab

Matt Tett is the Managing Director of Enex TestLab, an ISO 9001 certified and ISO 17025 accredited independent testing laboratory with over 25 years history and a heritage stemming from RMIT University.

He is responsible for establishing and overseeing all eight operational divisions, delivering successful projects to 92 industry sectors across a number of global markets. He has a deep technical background in networking and security, and combines this with decades of high-level senior management and global business development.

Matt holds the following security certifications in good standing CISSP, CISM, CSEPS and CISA.

Darren Kane

Chief Security Officer of nbn™ Australia

Darren Kane has been the Chief Security Officer at nbn™ since March 2015. Under his leadership the Security Group has become a converged centre of physical and cyber security enabling nbn to better protect its people and assets against evolving threats.

Darren’s career history includes, 13 years with the Australian Federal Police, 6.5 years with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission the last role as Assistant Director of National Enforcement. Darren moved to Telstra in 2004 where he completed 11 years in varied management roles culminating in 4.5 years as the Director, Corporate Security & Investigations.

Darren has a Master’s in Business Administration, a Diploma of Financial Markets and is a Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Erica Anderson

Security Specialist

Her twitter bio says “infosec, cat, and ketchup enthusiast” which summarises her quite nicely. Erica currently works as an IT security contractor, and has had a range of experience in infosec - She has been a consultant, tester, engineer, analyst, instructor, and incident responder. She also causes general mayhem with Kiwicon, Kawaiicon, Code Club Aotearoa, and (previously) BSides Wellington.

Jamie Norton

Chief Information Security Officer at Australian Taxation Office