Speaker Profile

Jim Anderson is the Acting Head, of the Cyber & Infrastructure Security Centre, Department of Home Affairs.
Prior to that he was the Assistant Secretary of AusCheck Branch in the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre.
AusCheck treats malicious-insider risks posed by people seeking unsupervised access to secure areas of Australia’s aviation, maritime and health sectors. It does this by working with the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to complete background checks on employees and potential employees in those sectors. When authorised by the Minister for Home Affairs, AusCheck also treats malicious-insider risks in Major National Events, such as the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup Australia 2020 Women’s tournament, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023.
Prior to joining AusCheck, Jim had a distinguished career in national security and criminal justice roles. He joined the Army Reserves early in his working life, and enjoyed postings to the Queensland University Regiment, 9th Battalion of the Royal Queensland Regiment, University of NSW Regiment and the 1st/19th Battalion of the Royal NSW Regiment. Having started his full-time work as a Psychologist in Bundaberg, he was offered the opportunity to take on a counter-terrorism role in a national security agency which also involved a two year Exchange Officer program in New Zealand. He moved into the Attorney-General’s Department to support multinational capability development initiatives under the Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee, then broadened out to also lead multinational capability development initiatives under the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee. Immediately prior to joining AusCheck, Jim led teams involved in coordinating Commonwealth security arrangements for Australian High Office Holders and visiting Internationally Protected Persons.
Jim was awarded the Australian Defence Medal for his Army Reserves service, and has been the recipient of multiple Departmental Australia Day awards.
Jim describes his greatest pleasure from all of his roles as coming from working with dedicated passionate professionals (with wicked senses of humour).