Canberra is the Heart of Australia’s Cyber Future
Last week’s Sovereign Cyber Capability Unlocked 2025 event brought together some of the brightest minds and most innovative businesses in Australia’s cyber ecosystem. From talks on critical infrastructure security to cutting-edge solutions from established Canberra businesses, the event reinforced why Canberra is the nation’s cyber capital and opened new doors for many.
We kicked off with a warm welcome from Michael Frater, Chair of the Canberra Cyber Hub, who acknowledged the in-kind sponsor, the Industry Capability Network (ICN).
ICN “works to promote ongoing connections between businesses across the country” with a strong focus on “helping local businesses connect with infrastructure projects that best suit their capabilities” – Morgan Ferrier MAICD, Business Manager of the ACT ICN.
The morning featured exciting fast-paced, dynamic pitches and new service announcements from leading Canberra-based companies, including pitches from Castlepoint, Syconic Cyber, Simply SecOps, Cyber Capability, Introspectus, Ionize, Willyama, and Aristotle Metadata. These unique presentations showcased the depth of expertise and the scalable, sovereign solutions being developed right here in the ACT.
The keynote speaker, Sophie Bazzana – the acting Assistant Secretary, Critical Infrastructure Security Policy, Department of Home Affairs, focused on the future of critical infrastructure security. Sophie highlighted the need for investment beyond baseline measures, underscoring the necessity of an industry-government collaboration to meet key security objectives, given our evolving cyber threats. The speech opened doors for businesses to present their unique solutions, aiming to diversify government support for critical infrastructure by promoting innovative methods to fill security gaps.
Beyond the stage, after a warm and filling breakfast, a mini trade show emerged, and networking was on in full swing. Professionals and leaders had an opportunity to connect with exhibiting companies – consisting of all the pitching organisations and additional key players - Baidam, IntelliScope, Red Piranha, Viden, ProtectorNet, Fifth Domain and the ICN. The energy in the room reflected a shared mission: to strengthen Australia’s cyber capabilities, promote Canberra-founded solutions, build partnerships and address gaps in critical infrastructure security through cross-industry collaboration, innovation and investment.
As Natasha Abbott from Willyama put it:
“Canberra is the cyber hub of Australia — [there is a] a very big defence and federal government presence here, mixed with a cyber security focus, at the moment. It just makes Canberra the place to be.”
From world-class solutions to strong industry-government partnerships, Canberra continues to lead the way in building a secure, sovereign cyber future.
The day was a huge success, and the myriads of opportunities are sure to continue accelerating established, cutting-edge businesses forth. This was the room where it happens.
