13.10.2025
Australia’s leading banks are continuing their long-standing collaboration with the Australian Government to strengthen the nation’s cyber defences, as Chief Security Officers from NAB, ANZ, CBA and Westpac came together on a panel to provide practical advice for business owners.
Speaking at the Securing Australia Together event as part of Cyber Security Awareness Month, Sandro Bucchianeri, NAB Chief Security Officer, emphasised the importance of collaboration.
“Cyber criminals don’t respect boundaries or legislation. They move fast and use the same tools we do. That’s why we’re working together. Sharing intelligence and knowledge is our greatest defence as a nation.
“When we collaborate, we multiply our impact and can respond to threats more effectively than any one organisation alone,” Mr Bucchianeri said.
The panel, hosted in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs, highlighted how the banking sector and government are actively sharing live attack data and coordinating responses to protect Australians while attacks are still active.
Speaking to over 1,000 business bank customers, Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, the National Cyber Security Coordinator, reinforced the efforts to uplift Australia’s cyber security resilience.
“The best protection you can offer your business is to raise the consciousness of your people around what are good cyber health practices. Because cybersecurity is everyone's business,” LTGEN McGuiness said.
The Chief Security Officers urged business owners to take three simple but powerful steps to better protect their businesses:
Use strong, unique passphrases for every account.
Install all software updates to keep devices secure, and turn on automatic updates wherever possible to ensure systems stay protected without manual intervention.
Enable and enforce multi-factor authentication wherever possible.
“These basics may not be as exciting as AI or quantum computing, but nine out of ten cyber incidents happen because the fundamentals were missing,” Mr Bucchianeri said.
“If you get the basics right, you go a long way in protecting yourself and your organisation.”
The event showcased the ongoing commitment of Australia’s major banks and government to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and support business owners in strengthening resilience within an increasingly digital landscape.
A recording of the webinar is available here.
For more information:
Pictured (L-R): Top: Lieutenant General, Michell McGuinness, National Cyber Security Coordinator, Department of Home Affairs Middle: Dr. Maria Milosavljevic, ANZ Chief Information Security Officer, Sandro Bucchianeri, NAB Chief Security Officer Bottom: Nicola Nicol, CBA Chief Security Officer, Jess Thomas, Fraud Control Assistant Director, Department of Home Affairs.
