In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, Daniel Croft and Bethany Alvaro are joined by Australian Aviation's Jake Nelson to discuss AI, before talking about local hacks, NSW Health, and Trump alluding to the use of cyber warfare in Venezuela.

Croft, Alvaro, and Nelson first discuss Qantas and its shift towards AI implementation in 2026.

The trio then discuss Grok and the dangers of the new "edit image" button that has led to the creation of deepfake child sexual abuse material.

Croft and Alvaro then discuss the Australian band Royel Otis and a failed request by the guitarist to obtain the anonymous details of users he said were defaming him.

Finally, the two discuss Trump and his hinting that cyber warfare may have been used in the strikes on Venezuela to shut off the lights and create pathways in for US forces.

Enjoy the episode,
The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, co-host Steve Kuper and returning co-host Liam Garman unpack the fallout of the American special forces raid in Venezuela.

The pair also discuss the broader global ramifications emerging as a result of the American direct action in Latin America, including:

• The real motivations behind America's raid and why simple claims of regime change or pursuit of oil may not be as clear-cut as some would have us believe.
• Ongoing concerns about security and stability in the Middle East following revelations of significant strategic military deployments from the US to Europe and the region.
• The sociopolitical challenges facing Australia and allied nations as protests unfold in cities across the world, with political discourse shifting from the Middle East to Venezuela and claims of American imperialism.
• The ramifications of fraying, sectarian political debates and echo chambers that undermine social cohesion and national stability.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team

This week, for the last Cyber Uncut of 2025, David Hollingworth and Daniel Croft talk about Grok's spreading of misinformation regarding the tragic Bondi terror attack, OpenAI's admission of "high cyber risk", the re-emergence of ShinyHunters with a string of possible extortion attempts, ransomware attacks on medical centres, and important tips for using public Wi-Fi over the holidays.

The pair kick things off with reports of how Grok utterly failed to deliver accurate information regarding the 14 December shootings targeting the Jewish community in Sydney. The chatbot utterly failed to meet the moment, leading to multiple instances of incorrect information circulating on X.

In cyber security news, ShinyHunters is engaging in a string of extortion attempts that may – or may not be – linked to its breach of data analytics firm Mixpanel. It's a bit of a ride and a fascinating example of how quickly things can change in the cyber crime landscape. Plus, two more Aussie healthcare centres fall victim to ransomware attacks.

And finally, some helpful travel advice, a wrap-up of our big moments from 2025, and some things to look forward to in 2026.

See you next year
The Cyber Uncut team