The conversation opened with a clear challenge: while citizens increasingly expect unified, seamless digital experiences, agencies work within strict security, legislative and operational boundaries. As Dimitrovsky put it, “To the citizen, we’re just the government — they just want the information in one place.”
Cross-Agency Trust: Friction Isn’t Always the Enemy
Rosato emphasized that genuine agency-to-agency trust is challenging to establish. While leaders may aspire to “frictionless information sharing,” the reality involves differences in training, risk appetite, processes, and the perceived value of data.
“It’s not as simple as saying our systems use the same cryptographic controls,” he explained.
He also argued that some friction in digital systems is beneficial:
“A little bit of friction can assist us in identifying where data sharing could be compromised.”
Dimitrovsky agreed, highlighting that while more connected systems improve usability, they also reduce the number of entry points adversaries need to target.
AI: Opportunity and Threat
Another key theme was the role of AI in reshaping digital services. Dimitrovsky described AI as “both a blessing and a curse,” transforming government innovation while simultaneously enabling cyber adversaries to automate attacks and misinformation.
Search tools that now summarise content using AI were specifically called out for skewing how citizens access government information.
Rosato echoed this duality, referencing the ANAO’s audit of the ATO’s AI use:
“You need the right AI innovation, tempered with risk management and ethical oversight.”
Signalling Trust to Citizens
The panellists closed by emphasising transparency as a trust-building tool. Rosato highlighted practical approaches, such as clear channels for reporting vulnerabilities:
“If you identify a vulnerability on our site… we take it seriously.”
Recognising citizens who help identify issues, he added, builds shared ownership over digital safety.
The panel concluded with a collective acknowledgement: securing digital government services is an ongoing, evolving effort that must balance usability, risk, and innovation.
Panel Speakers:
Jamie Rossato, Chief Information Security Officer, CSIRO
Dimitar Dimitrovski, Chief Information Officer, Fair Work Ombudsman
Zoe Thompson, Facilitator, Director – Critical Infrastructure Resilience, Thales - Cyber ServicesRecommendations
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