David Griffiths​​​​ | CISO
Northern Beaches Council

David is the Chief Information Security Officer for Northern Beaches Council in NSW, and the former manager of Cyber Security NSW's intelligence and incident response team. Following a long NSW Government career in infrastructure and security roles, moving to local government has provided him with the opportunity to lead a smaller organisation towards practical security outcomes. Northern Beaches Council provides essential services to over 275,000 people. Far beyond the anachronistic "rates, roads and rubbish' perception of local government, the council is a complex organisation with over fifty business units delivering corporate and public services. As a recognised leader in digital transformation, Northern Beaches Council is cognizant of security and cyber risks and is proactive in protecting its information assets and systems. David's experience supporting local government cyber incidents in NSW has given him first-hand insights into the challenges that councils face across the state. His experience and perspective is not only helping to protect the residents, economy, and environment of Sydney's Northern Beaches, but also positions the council to take a leading collaborative role in uplifting cyber maturity across the sector.