04 Jun 2026
Societal Impact
Edition 10 2026
More than 700 people attended our second Cyber Security Summit, bringing together speakers from across the University, government and industry.
The UNSW Cyber Security team delivered its second summit on Tuesday 26 May 2026, with more than 700 staff, students, researchers, and industry and government partners for a full day of discussions.
In his opening keynote, Vice-Chancellor & President Professor Attila Brungs focused on trust. He spoke about the trust students place in the University to protect their data and the trust staff need in the systems they use. When trust exists, progress follows. The message connected cyber security to UNSW’s broader mission and set the tone for the day.
"Seeing this level of engagement across the UNSW community was genuinely inspiring," said Derek Winter, Chief Information Security Officer at UNSW, who sponsored the event.
The summit, held at the Roundhouse, built on the success of the inaugural event in 2024 and expanded the program with a broader range of speakers and sessions.
A full and ambitious agenda
The 2026 program included four sessions covering AI in cyber attacks and defence, identity as a major attack vector, post-quantum security risks, and protecting a modern university while building the future workforce.
Highlights included a panel debate on whether Australia is dangerously unprepared for AI-enabled threats. A live deepfake demonstration showed Derek Winter appearing both on stage and on a live call, with only one version real. A post-quantum session explained why "harvest now, decrypt later" is already a risk.
On the Mezzanine level, nine hands-on challenges ran throughout the day. These included Capture the Flag tournaments hosted by Datadog, Palo Alto Networks, Hack The Box, Fortinet, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and CyberCX, an AI prompt injection game by CrowdStrike, a secure coding challenge by Checkmarx and a Prisma Browser incident response CTF. MCs kept the day moving as prizes were awarded.
The team behind the Summit
The event relied on significant behind-the-scenes effort. Organisers Nivedita Newar and Michelle Ribeiro led delivery, with Trevor Skelly as MC. UNSW staff, students and volunteers supported the event alongside AV teams, Roundhouse staff, Moreton Hire Logistics, Regonsite and Vanilla Blue Catering. The summit was sponsored by Palo Alto Networks, CrowdStrike, Proofpoint, CyberCX, AWS, Microsoft, Datadog, Protecht, Fortinet, Google Cloud, Saviynt, UpGuard, Hack The Box and ISACA Sydney Chapter.
Looking ahead
The energy and breadth of participation at the 2026 Summit reflects a growing recognition across UNSW that cyber security belongs to everyone, regardless of faculty, division or role. As AI increases risks and quantum computing approaches, these conversations will continue beyond a single event.
For more information on UNSW's cyber security programs and resources, visit myit/security/security or contact the team at cybersecurityawareness@unsw.edu.au.
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