Most agencies have a cyber incident plan. The harder question is what happens when the pressure hits, the facts are still unfolding, and senior leaders need to make decisions quickly. In those moments, strong technical response is only part of the picture. Executive judgement, communication and coordination matter just as much.
That gap is still very real. The Australian Signals Directorate’s The Commonwealth Cyber Security Posture in 2025 found that only 62% of entities reported at least 80% of cyber incidents to their senior executive in 2024–25.
At Government Cyber Security Showcase Western Australia 2026, Nicholas Putra, Manager Cyber Security Corporate Services, Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport, will explore exactly that challenge in his keynote, “Cyber Security Incidents and Preparing Executives for the Inevitable,” scheduled for 3:15 PM to 3:35 PM on Tuesday, 25 August 2026. The session will focus on helping organisations prepare senior leaders to make informed decisions under pressure, strengthen coordination and response planning, and understand how cyber incidents quickly become business-wide issues.
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When cyber stops being “just an IT issue”
A cyber incident rarely stays contained for long. What can begin as a technical problem can very quickly affect service delivery, internal operations, public confidence and leadership decision-making. That is why this session feels timely. It is not only about response plans. It is about whether executive leaders are ready for the kind of pressure, ambiguity and fast judgement that real incidents demand.
Nicholas Putra’s keynote will look at three very practical areas: preparing senior leaders to make fast, informed decisions, strengthening coordination and communication before an incident occurs, and understanding how a technical event can become a much broader business issue.
The challenge is not always the plan — it is the escalation
Many organisations already have technical teams, controls and processes in place. But incidents can still go wrong when escalation is slow, when executives are not brought in early enough, or when the information reaching them is too technical, too incomplete or too late.
That makes the Commonwealth reporting figure especially telling. If only 62% of entities are reporting at least 80% of incidents to senior executive, there is still a disconnect between cyber response on the ground and cyber oversight at the top.
In practice, that means executive readiness is not something to think about after an event. It has to be built before one.
What this keynote will unpack
According to the agenda, the session will cover:
- Executive leadership during cyber disruption — preparing senior leaders to make fast, informed decisions under pressure
- Stronger coordination, communication and response planning — making sure people know their role before an event occurs
- From technical issue to business-wide impact — helping agencies respond to disruption as an organisational challenge, not just a cyber one.
For many agencies, that is where the real maturity shift is happening. The question is no longer just whether cyber teams can respond. It is whether the wider organisation is ready to lead through disruption.
A timely conversation for WA agencies
This keynote sits within a broader Showcase program focused on cyber maturity across WA Government, including resilience, privacy, data sharing and secure innovation. That broader context matters, because the most effective cyber posture is not just about tools and controls. It is also about leadership confidence, clear escalation paths and the ability to make good decisions when conditions are far from ideal.
For agencies looking to strengthen executive readiness before the next major incident, this session offers a practical place to start.
Join Government Cyber Security Showcase Western Australia 2026 to hear Nicholas Putra unpack how agencies can prepare executive leaders for cyber disruption, strengthen response coordination and build greater resilience before an incident occurs. The event takes place on Tuesday, 25 August 2026 at Pan Pacific Perth
Explore the event: Event Overview | Agenda | Register
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