EOTYA 2024 Winner: John Paitaridis

As anybody who has been following cybersecurity trends over the past 10 years will tell you, they have remained largely the same, and not in a good way. The number of threats detected, incidents of cyber espionage and data leaks, the growth in cybercrime and its estimated financial impact are all on the rise globally, while the talent pool of cybersecurity professionals remains insufficient to meet demand.

Refusing to accept that the writing was on the wall, John Paitaridis, former Managing Director of Optus, and before that Executive Director at Telstra, decided to take a stand and fight back.

"Five years ago, I had a vision to build the leading cybersecurity firm in Australia and New Zealand. I have long held the view that Australia and New Zealand have some of the most impressive tech and cyber talent anywhere in the world," Paitaridis tells The CEO Magazine.

"Too often we look to the United States and Europe for answers and there’s a lack of belief that we have what it takes. With an innovation and growth mindset, we have all the attributes we need for success."

Joining forces with former national cybersecurity advisor Alastair MacGibbon, and backed by private equity firm BGH Capital, Paitaridis launched CyberCX in October 2019.

"In the cyber battlefield, we cannot afford to be complacent or let our guard down, not for a minute. That’s why we are constantly striving to find better ways of defending and responding to threats," he says.

"Since our launch, we have worked to define ourselves as a credible and trustworthy brand in the market, as well as to build the reputation of home-grown cybersecurity capability here in Australia."

A trusted voice

CyberCX is committed to improving cyber capabilities through education, training and sharing its research with the wider community. Every year, its digital forensics and incident response team publish a ‘Year in Review’ report, which highlights how organizations can prepare for changing threat actor behavior. Alongside this, the company’s intelligence team publishes industry-leading advisories and research about breaking issues.

While many cybersecurity companies leverage fear and uncertainty to help generate demand, using exaggeration, ominous music and visuals lifted from spy thriller movies, CyberCX prides itself on being a calm voice of reason in the industry.

This stance has made waves across the media, with CyberCX becoming the subject matter expert of choice in news publications and programs, with a remarkable 73 percent of voice media share.

"Most business leaders I speak to now accept that a cyber incident is a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’," Paitaridis explains. "This is an important mindset shift that has been accelerating in recent years, with organizations getting on the front foot, investing to uplift cybersecurity controls and building cyber operational resilience.

"CyberCX is working with organizations running cyber simulations and exercises for board directors and executives who will be accountable for decision-making in the event of a major incident."

Paitaridis has been an active member in many national and international cybersecurity strategy organizations, including the Australian Government’s Executive Cyber Council, and as of February 2024, was appointed the Australian Co-Chair of the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum.

"I’m proud of my leadership role in tackling the nation’s cybersecurity challenges. It’s vital that leaders across government and industry can come together, have the important conversations and, through collective knowledge and resources, stand firm against the cyber threats facing Australia and the region."

Thanks to these efforts, CyberCX has become one of the fastest-growing tech businesses in Asia, and one of the largest cyber firms in the world. Having initially launched with 400 employees, of which Paitaridis was employee number one, the company now has over 1,400 cyber professionals across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Pacific.

Despite this success, Paitaridis is mindful that there’s still more work to be done. "It’s essential that our industry continues to improve cyber capabilities," he says. "We need a greater willingness for industry and government to collaborate on cyber threat-sharing and a commitment to innovation.

"When we do this successfully, across all parts of our ecosystem – government departments and agencies, banks, telcos, health, education and other critical sectors – we lift the collective experience and capability, learning and moving in a unified direction, building a more secure community and society."

Security for all

It’s no secret that cybersecurity has long faced a severe lack of talent, with AustCyber estimating a need for 17,000 more cybersecurity professionals by 2026. In response to this shortfall, CyberCX launched the CyberCX Academic in 2022, the largest private sector training academy for cybersecurity professionals in Australia. This initiative is on its way to delivering 500 additional cybersecurity professionals into the sector in three years.

Beyond just training, CyberCX is also focused on diversity and inclusivity, attracting talent from all backgrounds to help tackle global threats.

"Our mission is to secure the communities in which we live and work. To do this successfully, it’s important that our diverse workforce reflects these communities. The cybersecurity industry has a significant challenge with diversity and that’s why I’ve made it my mission to address this challenge."

Some of the many ways CyberCX has been working in this area include its programs focused on gender diversity (Women in Cyber), LGBTIQA+ (Polygon Pride), multiculturalism (Culture Ambassadors), neurodiversity (Embracing Neurodiversity) and reconciliation (Reflect RAP Working Group).

"These programs are presented under our umbrella program, ‘CyberCX is for EVERYONE’, which captures the essence of celebrating humanness, the things that make us unique and that together, we create something stronger than the sum of the parts."

Thanks to its efforts, female representation at CyberCX has increased by 10 percent over four years, seven percent above the industry average. The company also tracks diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging metrics twice a month, for which it consistently scores eight out of 10 or above, and 4.5/5 for diversity on Glassdoor.

"When I reflect on what I am most proud of about CyberCX and our achievements, it’s that we’ve built a unique cybersecurity company and capability in one of the highest in-demand sectors across the economy," he says.

"What we do at CyberCX matters. We support and secure enterprises and governments from the increasing threat of cyber criminals and nation states seeking to cause financial loss, disruption and harm. We are the protectors and defenders."

Now, as one of the most recognized voices in cybersecurity, Paitaridis has even greater aspirations for the future.

"Today I have a new vision for CyberCX. In the next five years, I am determined to build the leading cybersecurity services firm, not just in the region, but in the world."