Thursday, November 20, 2025

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Nicholls Theatre

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Details

As cyber adversaries expand tactics to gather intelligence, the battlespace is shifting, from traditional IP networks to the communications tools in our hands. Since mid-2024, varying incidents of telco espionage, mobile spyware, AI-driven deepfake deception and leaked military and government communications have exposed the strategic vulnerability of real-time mobile communications—where even encrypted voice calls and messages can be compromised. Nations are alert to the rising challenge, leading to bans of certain consumer-grade messaging apps. However, many nations are still behind on maintaining sovereign ownership of communications data and verifying identities. For defence and national security operations, this represents a critical evolution in the threat environment: communications systems, once considered auxiliary, are now highly sought-after targets. Adversaries are turning mobile networks, messaging platforms, and voice channels into vectors for surveillance, psychological operations, operational disruption, and kinetic risk. From Salt Typhoon attacks on major US telcos, to the ‘SignalGate’ and Tele-Message sagas, this region has witnessed how vulnerable communications data has become. Given Australia’s geo-political vulnerability, the nation is a sitting duck for communications espionage – which demands swift action and international collaboration. Hear how organizations are successfully tackling rising such risks, including management of sensitive communications. The session will also unpack: • New ways hostile actors are targeting communications data and infrastructure to undermine command integrity • Operational risks of using commercial messaging tools in secure environments • Why encryption alone cannot prevent identity spoofing or deepfake impersonation (with demos) • Strategies for securing mobile communications and defending against network-layer intrusions

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Speaker