Protecting WA’s Economic Engine from Cyber Disruption

Overview page | Agenda page | Registration page

Western Australia is one of the country’s most important economic engines.

Its mining, energy, transport, logistics and supply chain networks help power national productivity and keep essential services moving. That also means cyber security in WA is about much more than protecting systems. It is about economic continuity, operational resilience and public trust.

That is the focus of the panel discussion “Protecting WA’s Economic Engine from Cyber Disruption in a High-Threat World” at Government Cyber Security Showcase Western Australia 2026.

The session will look at what cyber resilience really means in high-output environments, where disruption can carry immediate operational, financial and community consequences. For agencies and organisations working across critical industries, the pressure is not only to reduce risk, but to do so without creating friction that slows delivery, productivity or service continuity.

This is what makes the conversation so relevant right now. As threats become more targeted and the cost of disruption keeps rising, cyber security can no longer be treated as something happening off to the side. It sits much closer to the centre of operational and economic planning.

The panel will explore:

• Securing critical industries from disruption and targeted attacks
• Understanding cyber risk as economic and national security risk
• Balancing resilience with operational efficiency in high-output sectors

The discussion brings together:

• Russell Taylor, Chief Information Officer, Public Transport Authority of Western Australia
• Serena King, Assistant Director Cyber Security Engagement WA, National Office of Cyber Security, Department of Home Affairs
• Adesh Pednekar, Head of Applications and Systems, Department of Communities WA

More broadly, this session sits within a full-day program focused on the cyber priorities shaping WA Government now. Across the Showcase, attendees will hear discussions on making cyber security measurable, preparing executives before disruption occurs, translating SOC insights into better decisions, protecting privacy and public trust, responding to AI-enabled threats, embedding security into digital transformation, and strengthening resilience across critical services and infrastructure.

For professionals working across cyber security, ICT, digital services, risk, privacy, infrastructure, operations or resilience, this panel offers a timely look at how the cyber conversation is evolving in WA — from technical protection to wider questions of continuity, confidence and economic impact.

Government Cyber Security Showcase Western Australia 2026 takes place on Tuesday, 25 August 2026 at Pan Pacific Perth, with complimentary registration available for public sector attendees.

Overview page | Agenda page | Registration page