Rethinking human security

What if the greatest threats to national security weren’t missiles or cyberattacks, but loneliness, misinformation and eroding trust?

Falling through the gaps

While existing regulators have most AI risks under control, a new report shows that national-security risks are falling through the gaps.

The weakest link

Humans remain our greatest asset and our most persistent weakness in cybersecurity. Technology will continue to evolve, but it is human behaviour that ultimately determines the success or failure of cybersecurity measures.

Friends to all

Many Pacific nations want to remain ‘friends to all and enemies to none,’ as they like to say, hedging their bets as to who wins out and extracting investment and attention from the competing powers.

Paying the price of freedom

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should put down his glass and make a formal statement to the Australian Parliament addressing Australia’s place in a changing world and unambiguously asking the Australian public to pay the price required to defend the nation’s basic freedoms.

Security isn’t what it used to be

When people think of national security, it’s about spies, soldiers and submarines, but these days it’s about much more than those things.

Coming home

Anthony Albanese’s decision to return policy responsibility for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Federal Police to the Department of Home Affairs comes in response to rapidly intensifying threats to social order.

Stepping up our security game

In the late 1970s Australian sport underwent institutional innovation propelling it to new heights of success, and today’s security services need to undergo a similar revolution in terms of technology and processes to meet evermore challenging demands.

Softly softly isn’t working working

Australia’s timid approach to increasing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and the Northern Approaches serves only to embolden ever more hostile actions by Bejing.

National security is the government’s job

After bowing to the opposition on mandatory minimum sentences, the Australian government needs to reestablish its leadership in national security.

Silence isn’t golden

The Federal Government’s habit of evading, ignoring or downplaying security threats undermines public trust, encourages conspiracy theories and emboldens our enemies.

Pacific security in 2025

2025 will be a big year for Pacific security as Pacific island nations grapple with upcoming elections, disaster recovery, watching the situation in New Caledonia and navigating geopolitical tensions.