In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson, Phil Tarrant and Liam Garman unpack the Cambodia–Thai military confrontation and Australia’s economic landscape.

Tarrant and Thompson begin the podcast reflecting on Exercise Talisman Sabre, highlighting how the biennial drills continue to grow in scale and strategic significance with the involvement of multiple partner nations, the live-fire deployment of HIMARS systems, and the strengthening of interoperability between allied forces.

The conversation then turns to rising regional tensions, specifically, the flare-up on the Cambodia–Thailand border. Garman explores the historical context behind the clashes and the implications of leaked diplomatic communications, offering a broader perspective on the fluid and often volatile nature of Southeast Asian geopolitics.

Zooming out further, the hosts examine internal shifts within the Chinese military. Thompson analyses the recent purges of senior People’s Liberation Army figures and what these changes might signal about Beijing’s strategic posture in the lead-up to the widely discussed 2027 timeline regarding Taiwan.

Finally, the team brings the conversation back to Australian shores, with Tarrant raising concerns over domestic defence priorities while Garman shares his concerns over the national security implications of Australia’s sluggish economy.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Defence Property Podcast, co-hosts Kane Dury from Discover Buyers Agency and Liam Garman, editor of Smart Property Investment, dive into two of the most overlooked but critical aspects of property investing: opportunity cost and due diligence.

They unpack the hidden cost of waiting too long to invest and how analysis paralysis or emotional decision-making can leave defence personnel behind in rising markets. Dury shares real-world examples of missed opportunities, and why timing the market perfectly can sometimes do more harm than good.

The duo also stress the importance of detailed due diligence, looking beyond the surface appeal of a property. From flood zones and bushfire overlays to public housing density and infrastructure plans, defence investors are walked through the essential checks before signing on the dotted line.

Whether you’re looking to build a portfolio or buying your first investment property, this episode is packed with hard-won insights to help ADF members maximise returns and minimise risk.

To listen to Kane Dury’s interview with Mark Donaldson VC, click here.
To see how you can avoid bad property advice, click here.

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft discuss Donald Trump’s use and support of AI, the Genea fertility and Qantas hacks, and the United Australia Party hanging its members out to dry in the wake of a data breach.

• The pair open up with news of Trump’s posting of an AI rendition of Barack Obama being arrested in the Oval Office, and his suggestion that AI developers shouldn’t have to worry about copyright when building their AI models.
• Hollingworth and Croft then move on to local news, with Genea going through the process of contacting its patients with confirmed news of the data impacted by its hack earlier in the year. The Qantas hack continues to make news, as court documents reveal its communications with the hackers behind its data breach, and the pair then discuss Microsoft’s woes over a dangerous vulnerability in its SharePoint platform.
• The podcast concludes with a discussion of the United Australia Party’s poor form following a hack that compromised the personal data of up to 80,000 members.

Enjoy the episode,
The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, host Liam Garman, editor of Cyber Daily, is joined by Kostas Siourthas, founder and CEO of TomorrowX; Rob Parker, partner at Deloitte; and cyber security leader Dr Marcus Thompson for an in-depth discussion on the future of data protection and innovation in the digital age.

The episode was recorded at Deloitte’s Sydney headquarters, where the panel explored how TomorrowX is reimagining cyber security by focusing on the movement and protection of data – rather than traditional infrastructure or application-centric models.

• Siourthas unpacked how Tomorrow X’s data-centric platform enables organisations to apply security policies at the packet level and even add multifactor authentication to legacy systems – a task that was previously resource-heavy and complex.
• Parker elaborates on the limitations of conventional network security in today’s encrypted world, and how TomorrowX’s composable, low-code architecture empowers business analysts to better manage data flows without relying on developers – reducing deployment timelines from months to weeks.
• Thompson shares real-world context around legacy system risk, referencing the recent superannuation credential stuffing attacks, and outlines how TomorrowX provides a cost-effective pathway to modernise outdated systems without full replacement.
• Finally, the trio reflect on what’s next for cyber security, why edge-case vulnerabilities remain one of the industry’s biggest risks, and why now is the time for proactive, data-first strategies.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by the Australian Defence Industry Awards’ Academic of the Year, Dr Oleksandra Molloy, to discuss the momentous award and her research into the use of drones in the war in Ukraine.

The University of NSW senior lecturer has conducted significant research into advanced air mobility and uncrewed systems with organisations such as the Australian Army Research Centre and collaborations with CAE Australia on two research projects, supported by funding from the Defence Trailblazer.

Molloy has a PhD in aviation (science) from UNSW, Australia; an MSc in human factors (engineering) from the University of Nottingham, UK; a master of education and linguistics (humanities) from the Central Ukrainian State Pedagogical University, Ukraine; and a diploma in aviation safety from the International Air Transport Association (IATA, Canada).

The pair discuss a range of topics regarding the defence industry, including:

• Molloy’s experience winning the Academic of the Year award and the acknowledgement of the entire defence industry at ADIA in Canberra.
• Her thoughts about being acknowledged individually by the British high commissioner to Australia, Dame Sarah MacIntosh, on the night of the ADIA.
• Molloy’s experience working with the Australian defence industry, Australia’s development and usage of drones.
• Uncrewed aerial systems, unmanned ground vehicles and drone development in Ukraine, as well as Molloy’s own projects and plans for the future.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect Team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, host Liam Garman, editor of Cyber Daily, is joined by Kostas Siourthas, founder and CEO of TomorrowX; Rob Parker, partner at Deloitte; and cyber security leader Dr Marcus Thompson for an in-depth discussion on the future of data protection and innovation in the digital age.

The episode was recorded at Deloitte’s Sydney headquarters, where the panel explored how TomorrowX is reimagining cyber security by focusing on the movement and protection of data – rather than traditional infrastructure or application-centric models.

• Siourthas unpacked how Tomorrow X’s data-centric platform enables organisations to apply security policies at the packet level and even add multifactor authentication to legacy systems – a task that was previously resource-heavy and complex.
• Parker elaborates on the limitations of conventional network security in today’s encrypted world, and how TomorrowX’s composable, low-code architecture empowers business analysts to better manage data flows without relying on developers – reducing deployment timelines from months to weeks.
• Thompson shares real-world context around legacy system risk, referencing the recent superannuation credential stuffing attacks, and outlines how TomorrowX provides a cost-effective pathway to modernise outdated systems without full replacement.
• Finally, the trio reflect on what’s next for cyber security, why edge-case vulnerabilities remain one of the industry’s biggest risks, and why now is the time for proactive, data-first strategies.

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson and Liam Garman unpack the latest news and events contributing to national security in Australia.

They begin the podcast discussing Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, including how important these kinds of joint military training activities are for the interoperability between Western nations and the certainty of covert surveillance being carried out by adversaries.

The pair then discuss the recent visit to the People’s Republic of China by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the geopolitical tightrope he must be walking between trading with the PRC and the AUKUS military commitments with the United States.

They wrap up the podcast discussing the recent and very public Qantas hack, as well as the potential flow-on impacts of the cyber security breach.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Miles Chambers, senior vice president of international business development at EDGE Group, to discuss how the United Arab Emirates established and manages its own defence prime to work collaboratively with government, provide leadership in industry and coordinate defence exports.

Chambers, with more than two decades of experience in the defence sector, leads EDGE Group’s international growth strategy, overseeing export sales and global partnerships.

He holds a bachelor of commerce degree in information systems and a bachelor of commerce (honours) degree in information systems from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

The pair discuss a range of issues, including:

• EDGE Group’s recent achievements in defence projects since it’s establishment in 2019 and the acquisition of Estonian robotics company Milrem Robotics and Swedish VTOL company Anavia.
• How the company effectively coordinates its separate branches and more than 35 entities across the differing environments of land, sea, air, space and cyber.
• The increasing focus on the importance of domestic manufacturing ability in the UAE, compared to traditional acquisition of externally produced international defence technology and vehicles.
• Initiatives to help UAE citizens enter or work in the defence industry, as a foundation principle of the company.
• EDGE Group’s market-leading strategy in prioritising domestic research and manufacturing of drones, artificial intelligence and uncrewed robotic systems.
• Corporate strategy and defence priority projects into the future, such as uncrewed aircraft and automation.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Defence Connect Team