Russell Jones (he/him)

A joint report from Tech Council of Australia and Datacom released last week identified 3 Top Tech Trends for 2024: 1️⃣ Artificial Intelligence 2️⃣ Cyber 3️⃣ Quantum & Space 🔬 Methodology: This report summarises the findings from a survey fielded between December 2023 and January 2024 by the Tech Council of Australia with 46 responses. Respondents are leaders of Tech Council member companies and Digital Employment Forum members 🔍 Key Takeaways: 💠 More than two-thirds of tech leaders expect AI to be the defining technology trend for 2024 💠 1 in 6 surveyed tech leaders think deep-tech areas such as quantum and space can overtake AI as the defining trend of 2024 💠 More than 50% of tech leaders have an impact or Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy in place. ❓ What are your thoughts on these trends? ❓ Which one do you think will have the biggest impact on your industry in 2024? #TechTrends #AI #Quantum #Cyber #Quantum

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We need to really care about this important topic. It’s the Wild West out there and cyber fraud is ruining people’s lives and destroying businesses. There are simply too many stories of people getting hurt by the faceless criminals who perpetrate this fraud. Remember - the bank will NEVER ask you for your security codes and they will NEVER ask you to transfer your money into a “safe” account. If you’re a business in Australia - consider registering a PayID with your bank and have people pay you via that instead of via BSB and account number - that way they’ll get up front confirmation of who they’re paying. And if you’re paying someone who uses a PayID then so will you. Consider insisting on it. Be vigilant.

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Data Breaches Soar to 3.5 Year High - Are we surprised ?? The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) reports a significant increase in data breaches during the first half of 2024, reaching the highest level in 3.5 years. Malicious attacks and cyber security incidents are the main culprits. Both private and public sectors, notably Health and the Australian Government, are vulnerable. The OAIC emphasizes the need for improved privacy and security measures to safeguard personal information. https://bit.ly/47A5Mjg This is a race that probably wont stop - given the rate of technology change, and therefore a long game to ensure the "good guys" stay ahead of the game. On a personal basis, ensuring your identity is protected is more important than ever. Learn more about credit and identity monitoring plans by inquiring below! Business customer? Enquire now https://bit.ly/3BqcHPS Not a business? Visit our Personal site https://bit.ly/3zroJIq #DataBreach #Cybersecurity #Privacy #EquifaxProtect

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Digital birth certificates seem potentially inevitable, with some regions such as New South Wales starting to test them out. While a digital birth certificate could certainly help people access financial services more easily and be a great help in times of disaster, a data breach could provide much greater access to criminals as well. How do you feel about the idea of digital birth certificates, and where else might you see such documents heading in the future? #FinancialServices #Cybersecurity Story by @PYMNTS https://bit.ly/49IASVv

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The 2025 Gartner CIO and Technology Executive Survey gathered data from 3,186 respondents, including 109 from ANZ across the public, private and non-profit sectors. Eighty-eight percent of Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) CIOs and technology executives revealed cybersecurity remains the top technology investment in 2025. Top CIO Focus Areas for 2025 📌Managing cybersecurity and other technology risk is the leading priority for 82% of ANZ CIOs 📌Managing technology financials (59%); 📌Demonstrating the business value of IT (52%); 📌Innovating and modernizing enterprise applications and software (51%) #cybersecurity #riskmanagement #ANZ #Gartner

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I was up bright and early for this morning’s launch of the 2024 digital priorities report, which I and 30 other tech leaders contributed towards. Craig Young, CAE’s key takeaways from the report were: - Security: Tech leaders weren’t just concerned about the security of their organisations, but NZ as a whole. - AI: is now a dinner table discussion, and tech leaders are considering the wider implications of AI on their organisations and strategy. - Skills: there is a general concern about the flow of tech talent into our economy, with Simon Bridges noting that there hasn’t been a huge increase in tech enrolment numbers since 2013. There was also a great pannel discussion that was led by Nicky Preston, Liz Gosling, Simon Bridges, and Tony Baird. They took a deeper dive into the report. Some of my favorite takeaways: - “CIO’s are increasingly important for New Zealand’s future” (Simon) - “Rapid change is the new norm” and there needs to be more work done on promoting diversity in tech (Liz) - There’s a greater need for more NZ based Private Equity investment into our Tech companies so we can help them scale successfully (Tony) Tony’s comment resonated with me especially, and mirrors my own comments in the Digital priorities report, and an RNZ article from this morning - https://lnkd.in/gVn_cuyi Thanks TUANZ for being such a huge voice for the industry and capturing all our feedback. It’s greatly appreciated. Read a copy of the digital priorities report here - https://lnkd.in/gcjnFfMb

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Introducing GOVERNANCE⁴ (G4), which has acquired dataXchange. Continuation of our specialist capability in Data Governance as enjoyed by some of NZ’s most significant Enterprise organisations, but increasing our service offering to include: - AI Governance - FSI-domain Governance, Risk & Compliance - Technology Governance. This is business-led Governance for the modern world. Pragmatic. Unbound by Convention. We are GOVERNANCE⁴ https://hubs.ly/Q02NwSRJ0 #governance #datagovernance #aigovernance

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Great move by the Commonwealth. Moving from a data mindset to a claim/proofing one using attestation moves us to Zero Knowledge Proofs #ZKP. ISO 18013 and 23220 allows these attestation and claims to be shared in a secure way both online and off-line. This has security benefits but also starts changing our mindsets on eligibility. Where we move from seeking data to accepting claims. #Digital #Technology #identity 👏👏👏

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Curious about New Zealand’s migration trends? Explore the data yourself! Do you want to understand how NZ’s migration story is evolving through data? With MBIE’s Migration Data Explorer (MDE), you can access comprehensive up-to-date migration statistics at your fingertips. Whether you’re a policymaker, researcher or just someone interested in how migration is shaping the future of New Zealand, this interactive tool has what you need. The MDE offers: ·       A single interface that its easy to explore migration statistics. ·       A framework that goes beyond visa numbers, helping you analyse migration’s impact on population and the labour market. ·       Customisable views, allowing you to explore visa and application types and more, all updated with the latest information from Immigration New Zealand. Recently refreshed with September 2024 data, the MDE offers a unique opportunity to stay informed of migration trends. Check out the Migration Data Explorer today, and start uncovering insights that matter to you: https://lnkd.in/grPAZyyj. #Migrationdatadomain #MDE #ExcellentMahi Veronica Kletzkin, Peter Campion, Andrew Hoy

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Is your data ready to ensure the success of the implementation of your new system? As high as 70-80% of system implementations fail, and of this, it has been cited that as high as 30% of the data in the system once launched is incorrect. In the countless system implementations I have been part of, I always start with “how confident are you on the quality of the data going into the new system, and what is your data preparation plan?”. We are currently working with a client who is moving from outsourcing to insourcing various assets, and is looking for a system to manage the assets once insourced. The challenge they have is the data going into the system is manually constructed in Excel, and lacks governance to ensure it is correct, accurate and timely. If not addressed, this lack of data quality issues will hinder the system implementation, provide inaccurate reports and may also put the insourcing strategy at risk. Prior to any new system implementation, it is critical you ensure your data is secure and fit-for-purpose, and to ensure your processes are documented and optimised. Only then, will you be able to truly realise the envisioned ROI. In addition to data quality, it is also critical businesses understand what data is being captured, where the data is being held and how it is stored to ensure they are meeting regulatory requirements. Want help on your data transformation journey? Contact us at [email protected] or visit us at evolvere.au. #businesstransformation #datastrategy #systemimplementation

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Did you know that 60% of targeted cyber-attacks in Australia hit SMBs but only 14% are prepared to defend themselves? Don’t assume your business is too small to be targeted. Implementing strong cyber security measures following the Australian recommended framework, the Essential 8, is important to protect what matters most. Our guide covers everything you need to know about the Essential 8. Check it out now and ensure your business has the right level of security 🔐 #FutureITServices #Essential8 #ASD #Cybersecurity #ITservices

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GOOD morning. Did you know that Australian bank Westpac has set itself a ‘pretty aggressive’ QA target to automate 70% of testing? "Most banks are targeting 30 to 40 percent [automation]. We’re going for 70 percent, it’s ambitious but doable.” Read more here -> https://lnkd.in/dKNK7hJw #Westpac #AUSfinserv #Banking #SoftwareTesting #ML #ICT #IT #QA

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The mahi that DIA have done on NZ's new Digital ID is impressive - check out the latest Technology Whisperers podcast! This time on The Technology Whisperers, Alistair talks to James Little , the Market Development Lead from the Department of Internal Affairs (NZ) Digital Identity Services talks exclusively about an aspect that affects all New Zealanders: the migration from physical identification to a digital one. The NZ Digital Identity Trust Framework Authority came into effect on 1 July 2024 and with it some great new opportunities for privacy and convenience. In the podcast we Introduce: * What Digital Identity is and who it is for * How this will affect New Zealanders * Common misconceptions and concerns Links for today’s show: James Little (LinkedIn): https://lnkd.in/gEQ2itT7 Digital Identity Programme: https://lnkd.in/gczvbnVt Trust Framework Authority: https://lnkd.in/gDxg5qUq https://lnkd.in/gx8qUJEV

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Transaction issues at a major Australian bank, can either be Database / Transactional processing botch up and or potiental deep cyber security issue. The Australian Governemnt should take action against such issues and give consumers some compensation for such issues, with the billions of dollars in profits generated and cost savings from minimum branches , jobs offshoring and minimum ATMs one would hope systems are built to avoid such disasters. https://lnkd.in/gFQJ2FPQ

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We're operationally ready to work with approved third parties on delivering Open Banking solutions that will help improve New Zealanders’ banking experiences. As of today, we've made Payments NZ’s API Centre Payment Initiation v2.1 API Standard available for third parties to connect to. Westpac NZ Chief Information Officer Russell Jones says work continues across the bank to make open banking a success in the months and years to come. “We’re committed to the successful rollout and adoption of open banking, and we look forward to helping provide New Zealanders with more options for making payments and managing their money in a safe and secure way,” Mr Jones says. “Open banking has the potential to provide far-reaching opportunities for customers to manage their money in new ways, from plugging into budgeting tools to splitting the cost of a meal in a quick and easy fashion. “Consumer confidence is key to the successful uptake of open banking, and we continue to work with the industry on future API standards that are safe and secure, as well as providing a seamless and efficient partnering process with third parties that creates trust in the system. “We have entered into a number of partnerships with API providers to date, and are finalising details of our API agreements with these providers. We are also in discussions with a range of other providers regarding potential future partnerships.” For more on Open Banking see: https://lnkd.in/gK9RGCPp and for more on the API Centre Payment Initiation v2.1 API Standard see: https://lnkd.in/gQji5Muh Catherine McGrath Sarah Hearn Richard Dalby Joanne Freeman Dan Symons Ara Krishnaraj Marty Sellwood Steve Wiggins Max Bania Will Hine Sarah Wall Annabel Olsen (Cramer)

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The Reserve Bank of Australia #RBA today released a report analysing the benefits, design choices and challenges associated with linking #fastpayment systems across countries. The report finds that connecting fast #payment systems has the potential to considerably improve the #speed and #transparency of #crossborder payments, benefiting both end users and service providers. Crucial to realising these benefits are well-designed governance, scheme rules and payments processing capabilities, which help to manage risk and ensure a seamless cross-border payments experience. However, establishing an #interlinking arrangement poses challenges, including dealing with differences in #legal and #regulatory frameworks across participating jurisdictions and agreeing on governance arrangements and scheme rules. Linking national fast payment systems is receiving significant international attention as a promising way to improve the #crossborderpayments experience. In light of these developments and #Australia’s commitment to enhancing cross-border payments, the RBA recently collaborated with a number of Australian industry participants involved in cross-border payments to study the interlinking of fast payment systems. The report contributes to the international discussion on this topic and encourages further analysis of key design considerations. This work will also help inform future discussions in Australia about the potential for the domestic fast payment system, the New Payments Platform (NPP), to be linked to fast payment systems in other countries.

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How can an organisation enhance data governance for better customer remediation? In this article we take a more detailed look at how Australian Financial Services Licensees can enhance data governance in the context of customer remediation. https://lnkd.in/gcvdtpxN #datagovernance #remediation #finance

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A great resource on the current NZ economic landscape, highly recommended. You know it’s good when it comes with Mary Holm’s recommendation.

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