MEDIA ALERT - AUSCERT CYBER SECURITY CONFERENCE

20-23 MAY, THE STAR, GOLD COAST  

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, 7 MAY 2025: AUSCERT is excited to announce two more keynote speakers at the AUSCERT Cyber Security Conference, taking place at The Star on the Gold Coast from 20-23 May 2025. 

Marek Kowalkiewicz, Professor and Chair in Digital Economy at QUT Business School is ranked among the Top 100 Global Thought Leaders in AI by thinkers360. He has led global innovation teams in Silicon Valley, was a global research program lead and founding research Manager of SAP's Machine Learning lab in Singapore, and a Research Fellow at Microsoft Research Asia. His newest book, "The Economy of Algorithms: AI and the Rise of the Digital Minions" is a winner of Australian Business Book Awards (Technology) 2024. 

Professor Kowalkiewicz will present a keynote on AI's unchartered territories and how AI is no longer just a tool. 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, Cyber Epidemiologist at UNSW Canberra is a respected IT leader, lecturer and cyber security researcher, with a career spanning over 13 years across the Royal Australian Air Force, government, academia, and the private sector. Her current work explores AI-driven threat modelling and malware propagation at scale, blending deep technical expertise with a passion for cyber resilience, intelligence sharing, and interdisciplinary innovation. 

Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, Australia's National Cyber Security Coordinator will open the conference with the first keynote. 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. 

The AUSCERT Cyber Security Conference will also feature MC Adam Spencer and around 900 delegates across the four-day event including the Gala Dinner in The Star Ballroom.  

An impressive line-up of over 50 speakers, will present and run workshops, including: 

- 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, 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, Okta and highly awarded cybercrime researcher 

- Louise Hanna, General Manager, Excite Cyber 

To view, the full conference program, please visit: https://conference.auscert.org.au/ 

Photographic and TV footage opportunities include: 

- Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, Professor Marek Kowalkiewicz, Jess Modini and other key speakers  

- around 900 delegates across the conference   

- Dynamic Exhibitor Hall with many freebies on offer  

- Puppy cuddle activities 

- Fun interactive LEGO 

- Lock picking activities 

- Arcade games and much more!  

Register for a FREE conference media pass  

To obtain a FREE media pass to the AUSCERT Cyber Security Conference, please contact Media-Wize's Kathryn Goater on 0414 726 958 or kathryn@media-wize.com. 

Media interviews 

For more information, or to arrange interviews with AUSCERT, please contact Media-Wize's Kathryn Goater on 0414 726 958.  

Image Gallery  

A gallery of high-quality images is available for download here.