Sydney CyAN x LeadersIT Gathering – August 2025 Recap by Kim Chandler McDonald

Is it Possible to Future-Proof the Cyber Workforce?

On Wednesday 13 August, the Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN) Sydney chapter smashed its attendance record at Peoplebank Sydney IT Recruitment. Co-hosted with our friends at LeadersIT, the evening tackled a big, thorny question: Is it possible to future-proof the cyber workforce?

With the room buzzing – cyber pros, risk and governance leaders, trust and safety advocates, and a few curious “civilians” – our aim was to have a real, grounded conversation about what it’s going to take to build a workforce ready for whatever the future throws at us.

We kicked off with keynote speaker Heather Hoddinott from Hack The Box, who then took the moderator’s seat to guide a powerhouse panel featuring Maryam Shoraka (Sydney Trains), Britt McGill (Leaders IT), and CyAN members Michael do Rozario (Corrs Chambers Westgarth), Andrew Pedroso (SoSafe) and Michael T. McDonald (3 Steps Data).

Key Themes & Insights

1. Cyber is everyone’s responsibility Heather reminded us that resilience can’t live solely in the SOC or IT team – it needs to be woven into every role, every level, and every decision-making process. That’s how you build capability that actually sticks.

2. AI: tool, not takeover Heather framed AI as exactly that – a tool. It’s not inherently good or bad. The challenge is preparing people to use it responsibly and ensuring governance keeps up with the pace of change.

3. Supporting true diversity Maryam spoke passionately about creating an industry that supports all kinds of talent – from those who are neurodiverse or sight-impaired to those without access to the latest devices like smartphones. Real inclusion, she stressed, means designing opportunities and environments where everyone can participate fully.

4. Bridging IT & OT Michael McDonald and Maryam stressed the need for cultural as well as technical bridges between IT and OT environments. In critical infrastructure, those gaps aren’t just inconvenient – they’re safety issues.

5. Legal and compliance pressures on CISOs Michael do Rozario painted a clear picture of the growing personal and organisational stakes in cyber leadership. He pointed out that Australian penalties for breaches can potentially be higher than those in the EU, and that is accompanied by an active class actions scene that is creating an expectation that any breach will result in a payout. These factors, he warned, risk encouraging the wrong behaviours inside companies – and may even deter talented leaders from stepping into the CISO role in the first place.

6. Human-centric capabilities are critical Andy brought the conversation back to the people side of the equation – those human-facing skills like communication, empathy, and influencing behaviour. Without them, all the tech in the world won’t make a team resilient.

Memorable Moments

• Heather Hoddinott: “Legacy thinking” is the enemy of readiness; continuous learning must be a cultural norm. She also delivered the night’s most vivid metaphor, comparing the cyber landscape to Space Jam – where defenders are up against bad actors who don’t play fair and have bigger, faster, meaner tech tools at their disposal. That image earned the loudest laugh of the night (from yours truly).
• Maryam Shoraka: Her candid reflections on mid-career zigzags and invisible labour resonated with many, echoing her article on the “messy, honest truth” of growth in cyber.
• Michael do Rozario: His quip about boards avoiding the security conversation until disaster strikes got knowing nods (and a few nervous laughs).
• Michael McDonald: “The speed of change is accelerating — the real talent is learning how to imagine, experiment, and adapt fast. The stars of tomorrow will keep refining their skills while building strong internal and external networks.”
• Andy Pedrosa: Brought the conversation back to the people side of cyber, emphasising that human-facing skills like communication and empathy are critical for resilience.
• Britt McGill: Reminded us that networks and mentorship aren’t “nice to haves” – they’re essential in retaining talent and growing leaders.

The Takeaway

So… can we “future-proof” the cyber workforce? Probably not in the literal sense. But can we build one that’s resilient, adaptable, and forward-ready? Absolutely – if we combine technical skill, governance alignment, and human-centred leadership, keep learning as fast as the threats evolve, and make sure we’re just as current-proofed for today’s challenges as we are prepared for tomorrow’s.

As one attendee summed it up: “This wasn’t just talk about the future – it was a challenge to start building it now.”

Massive thanks to Peoplebank and Leaders IT for hosting, to our brilliant speakers and panelists, to CyAN APAC Director and my co-host Saba Bagheri, PhD and to everyone who showed up ready to share, listen, and challenge assumptions. And many additional thanks to J A Zein for taking some fantastic photos on the night!)

If you’re not already part of Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN), maybe it’s time to fix that. To be in the conversation, you need to be in the room. Visit CyAN’s website to learn more and become a member (links in the comments below)!