Friday Initiatives at AdelaideSEC: Hazel Chesters reflects on her first Australian cybersecurity conference

Last month, Friday Initiatives’ governance expert, Hazel Chesters, spoke at the AISA AdelaideSEC conference, the largest of AISA’s security events, with more than 700 delegates. We sat down with Hazel to hear her reflections on the experience.

Q: How did it feel to speak at your first cybersecurity conference in Australia?

It was a real milestone for me. Speaking at AdelaideSEC gave me the chance to share my perspective with a new community and to connect with peers in the Australian cybersecurity sector. Losing my voice partway through wasn’t ideal, but it didn’t take away from the experience — in fact, it gave me a memorable first outing! And the view across to the Adelaide Oval certainly gave attendees something extra to look at besides my slides.

Q: What were some of the standout sessions you attended?

The agenda was packed, so it was impossible to see everything, but a few sessions really stayed with me.

• Stephen Mulligan, Treasurer and Minister for Defence and Space Industries, set the tone by emphasising cyber resilience as a national priority.

• Jaqui Nelson’s fireside chat was refreshingly open, showing the importance of honesty and leadership in building trust.

• Derek Grocke’s session on immersive simulation was a highlight — it showed how experiential training makes security awareness more effective and memorable.

• The Voices of Experience panel brought real-world perspectives, particularly on digital trust and the limitations of increased monitoring.

Q: Tell us a bit about your presentation.

My session was called “If you don’t know what you have, how can you protect it?”. While a lot of cybersecurity focuses on keeping malicious actors out, I considered how you need to respond when someone has broken through your defences. Having a clear understanding of your data, where it sits, who has access to it and the controls that are applied is critical in being able to respond effectively to a cyber-attack, in gaining back the trust of your customers and in maintaining your organisation’s reputation.

Q: Was there a particular message or moment that resonated with you?

The closing keynote by Dr Richard (Harry) Harris really struck a chord. He spoke about decision-making under extreme pressure, drawing on his experience in the Thai cave rescue. His reminder that there’s often no perfect option, that preparation, and clarity are critical, and that sometimes you just have to act, even when there are significant risks. Something that’s directly relevant to how we handle cyber incidents, but also life generally.

Q: Any final reflections from the day?

For me, AdelaideSEC was both a professional milestone and a warm welcome into the Australian cybersecurity community. I came away with new ideas and some wonderful new connections. 

Plus, I’ll admit no conference would be complete without the temptation of freebies at the sponsor stalls. In my case I showed some restraint and filled my suitcase with Haigh’s chocolates instead.

We are very proud to have had Hazel representing Friday Initiatives at AdelaideSEC, and sharing our perspective on the vital role of data visibility in cyber resilience.