Inside the Australian National University Breach (Part 1): A Former CISO Breaks It Down

This episode originally aired in collaboration with Simply Cyber and is re-released here as part of The Cybersecurity Mentors Podcast archives.
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What really happens when a major university suffers a large-scale cyber breach?

In Part 1 of this two-part series, The Cybersecurity Mentors Podcast sits down with Suthagar Sivaratnam, former CISO at the Australian National University, to walk through the breach that impacted one of Australia’s most prominent institutions.

Suthagar shares his personal journey into cybersecurity and provides a candid look at what it’s like to lead during a major incident. This episode focuses on the early stages of the breach, leadership decision-making under pressure, and the often-overlooked human and organizational impact of cyber incidents.

In Part 1, we discuss:

• What the CISO experiences in the first moments of a breach
• The leadership mindset required during a cyber crisis
• How phishing played a role in the initial compromise
• The challenges posed by legacy systems
• Why calm, compassion, and communication matter during incidents

Part 2 continues the story, covering the aftermath, recovery, and long-term lessons learned.

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pErThNPJSEc
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Episode Resources

• Australian National University Breach Report:
https://imagedepot.anu.edu.au/scapa/Website/SCAPA190209_Public_report_web_2.pdf

• Suthagar Sivaratnam (LinkedIn):
https://www.linkedin.com/in/suthagarseevaratnam/
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Chapters

00:00 Introduction & Cybersecurity Journey
05:29 The Role of a CISO During a Crisis
10:37 Initial Reactions to the Breach
18:56 Leadership Under Pressure
25:04 The Phishing Email Incident
34:05 Initial Compromise & Vulnerabilities
35:22 Phishing Tactics and Targeting
38:59 Establishing Attack Infrastructure
40:55 Legacy Systems & Security Challenges
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Connect With The Cybersecurity Mentors Podcast

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Link: https://www.skool.com/the-cybersecurity-mentors
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Thank You to Our Sponsor

A special thank you to @ACILearning for supporting season 5 of The Cybersecurity Mentors Podcast.
ACI Learning provides hands-on IT and cybersecurity training designed to help professionals build real-world skills and advance their careers.

Learn more at: https://acilearning.com
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