Almost every new device that enters an organisation today has a network connection. And while tools such as micro-segmentation and VLANs have been used to create logically isolated environments, CIOs are now working in a world where the networks they deploy and manage must manage more physical devices than ever before.

The complexity underlying this is significant. Transforma Insights predicts that there will almost 30 billion IoT devices connected to the internet by the end of the decade. And we can expect those devices to up to 100 ZB of data by then. In many cases, these devices will rely on artificial intelligence and machine learning – something we are already seeing in the world of physical security with access control platforms and cameras that can detect anomalous activity.

CIOs and senior technology leaders can no longer leave the physical security solely in the hands of facilities teams. And facilities teams must work with technology teams to ensure their tools and platforms securely integrate so they don’t create new points of ingress for malicious actors. The boundary between physical and logical security has dissolved.

That disappearing wall between the physical and logical worlds is being seen across many different spheres. In the military, cyber is the fifth domain of warfare alongside air, sea, land, and space. The confrontations of today such as that between Ukrainian and Russian forces, and points of global tension such as between the Western allies and China are being defined by both cyber and kinetic threats.

The Federal Government, through revisions to the national cybersecurity strategy, issuing of discussion papers on the rise of AI and updates to critical infrastructure legislation, has placed cybersecurity on the agenda for boards and other senior leaders. The puts CIOs at the forefront of planning and decision making. CIOs must continue to be informed of the latest developments – both technical and regulatory.

At this year’s Security & ASIAL Conference, Stephen Scheeler, the CEO of Omniscient and former CEO at Facebook ANZ, will discuss some of these challenges. He will provide a view on how AI, data and security interact and their importance to maintaining a secure organisation. Troy Heland from the Verizon Business Group will build on that when they tackle to challenges that ChatGPT and other large language models pose to our security.

For CIOs, when they look at these new tools and emerging trends, they use two lenses. These new tools provide opportunities that could scarcely imagined just two or three years ago. But they also herald new risks. Shifting the pendulum too far one way or the other when building strategic and tactical plans could result in lost opportunities or increased vulnerability.

Neil Fergus, the Chief Executive at Intelligent Risks, will look at risk management through the framework of ISO 31000, talking to case studies involving complex risk issues that have impacted security for international major events and critical infrastructure projects. The successes and failures are both illustrative and will teach important lessons.

For many CIOs, the challenge is getting buy in from all stakeholders. When an organisation has not suffered a significant security incident it can be had to convince people of the need to invest in security and resilience. Translating resilience and security into business benefits and opportunities to engage all levels in the organisation will be one of the most important lessons covered in an engaging session being delivered by Rinske Geerlings, the Managing Director of Business as Usual.

The convergence of physical and logical security, new technology and the need for organisations to consistently innovate are making the role of the CIO increasingly complex. At this year’s Security & ASIAL Conference, senior technology leaders will have the opportunity to hear from and meet with their peers from around the world to share stores, learn lessons and ensure they are better equipped to enable their businesses to meet the challenges of today and beyond.

Click here to view the full program and to secure your place at the Security & ASIAL Conference.