As Brisbane, Queensland and Australia prepare for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the cyber security challenge is not only technical. It is organisational, operational and cultural.
For Paula Robinson, Brisbane 2032’s Chief Corporate Services Officer, the priority is to build the conditions that allow the wider organisation to deliver with confidence.
Robinson will explore these themes at the Government Cyber Security Showcase Queensland on 10 September, where she will join a panel discussion Securing Brisbane 2032 on the World Stage: From Global Insight to Local Execution.
In a written interview with Robinson, she highlighted the importance of corporate services.
"Corporate services often sit behind the scenes, but they're what enable an organisation to operate with confidence. That means strong governance, secure technology, effective procurement, legal frameworks, clear decision-making and having the right people in the right roles."
“What’s unique about Brisbane 2032 is that we need to build those capabilities for a major international event that will be delivered in 2032, while ensuring the capabilities at any given time are appropriate for that stage in our lifecycle.”
“Our job is really about building strong foundations that can scale as we move towards Games time.”
Robinson also added cyber security has moved beyond the IT function because the impact of a cyber incident can spread quickly across the organisation.
“Cyber security is no longer just an IT issue; it’s a business issue. A cyber incident can very quickly become a legal issue, a privacy issue, a reputation issue and an operational issue. That's why cyber, risk, governance and incident response all need to work together rather than operate as separate functions."
For Brisbane 2032, Robinson said the task is to understand the highest risks, put the right controls in place and be ready to respond if something happens.
People and culture also affect managing cyber and operational risk. According to Robinson, "People remain one of the biggest cyber risks, but they're also one of our greatest assets."
She explained, "Human error continues to be one of the most common ways organisations are compromised, so doing the fundamentals well, things like cyber awareness training, clear policies and helping people recognise threats is incredibly important."
For Brisbane 2032, personnel complexity is larger than a standard workforce. The ecosystem will include employees, volunteers, contractors, suppliers and delivery partners, many of whom the organisation will not directly manage. Robinson said those groups need to understand their role in protecting the project as a whole and have the awareness and capability to do it well.
Robinson also emphasised that taking time for assurance does not automatically slow down delivery.
“In my experience, if governance, privacy and security are embedded early, they actually enable faster delivery because you’re solving problems upfront rather than fixing them later,” she said.
For Brisbane 2032, where the deadline is immovable, assurance processes need to be practical, proportionate and supportive of delivery. Robinson said the aim is to build confidence to move quickly, rather than create unnecessary bureaucracy.
She also added that complexity is inevitable in major-event delivery, which makes collaboration a core capability rather than a nice-to-have.
"No single organisation delivers an Olympic and Paralympic Games. Success depends on a number of stakeholders – from governments, agencies, sporting organisations toprivate partners, all working together with a shared purpose."
"That means investing in relationships early, being clear about roles and responsibilities, and making decisions with the whole system in mind rather than just your own organisation."
Furthermore, Robinson noted that resilience will be one of the most important capabilities for coordinated delivery across multiple stakeholders.
“The reality is that cyber-attacks will happen. Success isn’t about having zero attacks; it’s about how well you prepare for them, detect them, respond when they happen, and swiftly recover.”
In an environment like Brisbane 2032, no single organisation responds alone. Robinson confirmed having clear roles, strong coordination, and the ability to integrate responses across multiple stakeholders will be critical.
“The question isn’t whether you’ll experience a cyber incident. The question is how well you’ll respond when you do.”
Key takeaways:
- Brisbane 2032 cyber resilience is a whole-of-organisation issue, not only an IT priority.
- Corporate services create the foundations for delivery, including governance, secure technology, procurement, legal frameworks and decision-making.
- Cyber, risk, governance and incident response must work together because incidents can create legal, privacy, reputational and operational impacts.
- People are both a risk and an asset, especially across a large ecosystem of employees, volunteers, contractors, suppliers and partners.
- Assurance can speed up delivery when awareness, governance and incident response processes are embedded early.
- Resilience is the defining capability, because success depends on preparing, detecting, responding and recovering quickly.
Hear more from Paula Robinson and other public sector leaders on protecting major-event delivery. Join the Government Cyber Security Showcase Queensland 2026 on 10 September at the Royal International Convention Centre, as part of Government Innovation Week Queensland.
The event will explore practical approaches to cyber resilience, governance and secure execution for Queensland’s public sector.
Register for the Government Cyber Security Showcase Queensland 2026.
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