As DIGITAL NSW 2025 SHOWCASE drew to a close, one clear theme emerged from the discussions, demonstrations, and simulation sessions: resilience is not a technical issue – it’s a leadership one.
Across the event, Canary IT and Commvault partnered to deliver “Inside a Ransomware Crisis”, an exclusive executive simulation that immersed leaders in the critical initial hours of a cyberattack. Participants faced the uncomfortable yet essential decisions every leader must consider: How do we communicate with the public? When do we engage law enforcement? And perhaps most confronting – should we pay the ransom to restore critical systems?
Held under the strict confidentiality of the Chatham House Rule, the sessions created space for open, peer-to-peer discussion. Leaders shared challenges, tested assumptions, and discovered the complexity of crisis governance when the pressure is real and every minute counts. Many reflected that the exercise exposed coordination gaps between technical, legal, and operational teams – gaps that are often invisible until tested under simulated crisis conditions.
These insights echoed the findings of the State of Data Readiness Report, which highlights how organisations across Australia and New Zealand continue to struggle with the pace and scale of recovery. 55% of respondents said their recovery takes longer than a week, while 74% experienced data exfiltration, revealing how pervasive ransomware and data loss incidents have become. For government agencies responsible for essential public services, such delays can have far-reaching implications for operational continuity and community trust.
At the Canary IT and Commvault booth, conversations extended beyond crisis response to holistic resilience – encompassing governance, protection, recovery, and sovereignty. The Resilience Ring framework resonated strongly with attendees, highlighting the need for 24/7 oversight, backup-as-a-service, incident response planning, regular testing of policies and procedures, and automated disaster recovery capabilities. Together, these elements of continuous improvement form the backbone of a mature cyber resilience strategy capable of withstanding the realities of modern hybrid environments.
The event also reinforced a broader shift in government technology thinking: resilience can no longer be delegated to IT teams alone. It requires alignment across policy, procurement, and executive governance. Data protection, recovery assurance, and regulatory compliance are now business imperatives – not optional safeguards.
For Canary IT, Digital NSW 2025 showcase was an opportunity to demonstrate not only technology partnerships, but the strategic value of collaboration. Working alongside Commvault, we continue to help agencies strengthen cyber resilience, accelerate verified recovery, and meet the increasing expectations of both regulators and citizens.
Thank you to the Public Sector Network team for putting the event together, the Commvault team, and all attendees who joined us for these vital conversations. The challenges are significant, but so are the opportunities to substantially raise the bar in terms of cyber resilience. By combining technology, partnership, and proactive leadership, NSW can set the benchmark for whole-of-government resilient operations.
Our thanks also to the Commvault team, all attendees who joined us for these vital conversations, The Public Sector Network for hosting this important forum, and to the NSW Department of Customer Service executive sponsors – Laura Christie, Mark Lenzner, and Melanie Curran – for their leadership and continued focus on building whole-of-government resilience.
To explore how Canary IT and Commvault can help your organisation align business continuity with data protection, visit here.
