Episode

From chaos to coordination: working with government in a cyber crisis with Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, National Office of Cyber Security

Podcast
The Cyber Brief
Published
Mar 3, 2026
Duration seconds
2238
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not_requested
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https://thecyberbrief.podbean.com/e/from-chaos-to-coordination-working-with-government-in-a-cyber-crisis-with-lieutenant-general-michelle-mcguinness-national-office-of-cyber-security/
Audio
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/tthatir8i6tare54/25-12-15_-_TCB_-_Michelle_McGuinness_-_Audio_Episodebjo4q.mp3
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/v1/public/podcasts/the-cyber-brief-7560204/episodes/from-chaos-to-coordination-working-with-government-in-a-cyber-crisis-with-lieutenant-general-michelle-mcguinness-national-office-of-cyber-security
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Summary

Valeska and co-host David Rountree speak with Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness CSC, Australia's National Cyber Security Coordinator and leader of the National Office of Cyber Security (NOCS). Michelle dives in regarding the role of NOCS, and how it approaches government coordination and consequence management during major incidents. When and how should organisations engage with government during an incident? What's best practice for incident communications? How does NOCS work with industry, regulators and other government agencies? How are organisations engaging with Australia's limited use and ransomware payment reporting regimes? Michelle also shares her approach to leadership, the importance of empathy when working with organisations under pressure, and how her military background has shaped her leadership approach. Resources from this episode: For more on the limited use and ransomware payment reporting regimes, see New cyber incident response obligations for Australian organisations. National Office of Cyber Security resources, including the Australian Cyber Response Plan and 12 sector playbooks Cyber Health Check Tool | Cyber.gov.au Homepage | Cyber.gov.au—to report cybercrimes and security incidents Michelle's podcast recommendation: Risky Business