Here’s your Tech Brief update from July 7.
SA Power Networks, the sole electricity distributor in South Australia, just dropped their Cyber Security Strategy 2025–2030, and it’s one of the most comprehensive blueprints we’ve seen in a while.
This isn’t your typical “patch and pray” security plan. SA Power Networks is taking a risk-based, multi-layered, and human-first approach to protecting the grid—and the 1.7 million customers relying on it.
They’ve laid out 12 key initiatives to be rolled out over five years, touching everything from core firewalls and threat detection, to identity access, secure software development, and even cultural change.
So what are the standout moves?
They’re embracing Zero Trust Architecture assuming no device or user is trustworthy until proven otherwise. Combine that with micro-segmentation, and you’ve got some serious defense-in-depth thinking happening.
They’re also taking bold steps in OT security, embedding a cyber team directly into their operational tech environment. That’s a big shift, especially in a sector where IT and OT have traditionally lived in silos.
SA Power Networks aren't just protecting their own house. With real-time third-party risk monitoring, they’ll track the cyber posture of suppliers and partners using live threat feeds.
And of course, they’re addressing what might be the softest point in any cyber defense: people.
There’s a whole initiative dedicated to building a proactive cyber culture—think ongoing training, cyber ambassadors, even rewards for best behavior.
So what does this mean for the rest of us?
Australia is now firmly on the map as a high-value target: politically stable, tech-forward, and deeply integrated into global systems. After major breaches like Medibank, Latitude Financial, Optus and more recently Qantas, cyber security isn’t just a technical concern—it’s a national priority.
SA Power Networks’ strategy isn’t just about protecting substations—it’s about redefining what resilience looks like in a country increasingly exposed to geopolitical tension, supply chain threats, and state-sponsored attacks. t’s a signal to the rest of the nation: this is what it looks like when we take cyber security seriously—not just reactively, but structurally, culturally, and long-term.
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