ABS Runs Six-Month IT Environment Hardening Before Census
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has launched a six‑month IT hardening program to secure its entire ICT environment ahead of the 2026 Census on August 11. The effort, revealed in a recent cyber‑readiness audit, expands an originally four‑week engagement with external cyber‑security specialists to three‑to‑six months across three two‑month tranches. Additional experts were brought in from February 2026 after a 2024 risk deep‑dive flagged vulnerabilities beyond the census‑specific systems. The census now runs on AWS, prompting heightened scrutiny after the 2016 DDoS‑related failure.
Australian Cyber Teams Test Data Security Controls After Court Transcriptions Offshored
The Federal Court of Australia uncovered that its transcription contractor, VIQ Solutions, had secretly subcontracted work to a firm in Chennai, India, breaching contracts that require Australian‑based handling of sensitive data. VIQ admitted a data‑privacy incident, and its Australian unit...
ACCC Greenlights Superloop, Lynham Separation Plan
Australia’s competition regulator, the ACCC, has cleared Superloop’s $165 million acquisition of Lynham Networks, subject to a structural separation plan. Under the deal, Lynham will function solely as a wholesale fibre‑to‑the‑premises network, while Superloop’s retail brands—including Superloop Broadband, Exetel, Veda Networks...
Telstra Restructure Reunites IT and Networks
Telstra announced a major reorganization that reunites its IT and network divisions under a single executive, Kim Krogh Andersen. The new "Network, Product and Technology" function will oversee wireless and fixed networks, cyber security, cloud infrastructure, software engineering, data and AI. A...
Rio Tinto Documents 30-Year-Old Manufacturing System Using AI
Rio Tinto has deployed an AI domain assistant to document the knowledge, dependencies, and decision logic of Metpro, a 30‑year‑old manufacturing execution system that runs its aluminium operations. By feeding the Metpro codebase and operational documents into Amazon Bedrock Knowledge...
Lendi Group Factors AI Use Into Annual Performance Reviews
Lendi Group announced that, starting in July, employee performance reviews will include metrics on AI agent usage, reflecting its goal to become fully AI‑native by June. Staff will be evaluated on how they train, coach, and leverage AI assistants, with...
The New Topography for Cybersecurity
The rise of AI, cloud services and hybrid workforces is rewriting the fundamentals of cyber‑risk management. Traditional perimeter defenses that assumed users stayed inside a firewall are becoming obsolete as data and applications disperse across multiple environments. Security leaders now...
Dayforce Delays Preceda Switch-Off as Customers Linger
Dayforce announced that it will keep the legacy Preceda payroll platform online until every client completes migration to its cloud‑based Dayforce solution. The vendor had originally slated the system’s end‑of‑life for March, but a spokesperson confirmed the shutdown will be...
On London's Streets, Facial Recognition Tests the Balance Between Security and Liberty
Live facial recognition (LFR) cameras were deployed on a busy London street, scanning faces against a police watchlist of about 17,000 individuals. In the trial, officers received two alerts, leading to one brief questioning and one arrest for a court‑order...
CBA Looks to AI for Workforce Planning
Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has deployed artificial intelligence to analyze free‑text responses from its 51,000‑plus employees during annual surveys. The AI, supplied by Qualtrics, can sift through up to 100,000 unique comments, turning raw feedback into actionable insights. It also powers...
Singtel Open to Selling "Meaningful Minority Stake" In Optus
Singtel announced it is open to selling a meaningful minority stake in Optus to a strategic Australian partner, while reaffirming its long‑term commitment to the Australian market. Optus reported 2.1% revenue growth to A$8.34 bn (≈US$5.5 bn) and a 6% EBITDA increase...
NT Government to Spend $5m on Payroll Automation
The Northern Territory government has earmarked a $5 million payroll automation program—about $3.3 million US—to upgrade its legacy mainframe‑based HR system and add complementary solutions. The Department of Corporate and Digital Development will lead the effort, focusing on automating complex calculations, approvals...
Rio Tinto Brings Automation, Copilot to Its Finance Function
Rio Tinto has deployed Microsoft Power Platform to automate its month‑end close, replacing hundreds of spreadsheets with integrated Power BI, Power Automate and Copilot Studio workflows. The new solution pulls data from SAP, calculates journals in Power BI, and feeds results back to...
Estia Health Drives Zero Trust Security Overhaul
Estia Health, Australia’s second‑largest aged‑care provider, is overhauling its security with a Zero Trust model to protect sensitive resident data. The initiative centers on three pillars—identity, data, and endpoints—leveraging Okta single sign‑on, AI‑driven data classification, and strict device controls. With...
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The Hidden Cost of Fragmentation: 3 Signs Your Retail Tech Stack Is Failing You
Retailers are grappling with fragmented commerce stacks that create data silos, slow deployments, and hidden maintenance costs. The article outlines three warning signs—excessive maintenance, peak‑season anxiety, and rising tech spend—that indicate a failing tech foundation. It cites Brand Collective, The...