Hamish Hansford

Hamish Hansford was appointed the Deputy Secretary of the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Group on 1 May 2023.

Prior to this, Hamish was Group Manager and Inaugural Head of the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre, a role he held from 1 September 2021, where he was responsible for reforms to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 and led the principal regulatory authority for all critical infrastructure in Australia.

Immediately prior to this role, Hamish was the First Assistant Secretary of the Cyber, Digital and Technology Policy Division, where he led the delivery and implementation of Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020, cybercrime policy, online harms policy including combating terrorist use of the internet and child exploitation, as well as critical and emerging technology and data security policy.

Prior to this, Hamish was the First Assistant Secretary of National Security and Law Enforcement Policy Divisions where he delivered Australia’s first ever modern slavery act, surveillance, investigatory powers and lawful access reforms, as well as hardening of Australia’s counter money laundering, illicit firearms, terrorist financing and child exploitation regimes.

Hamish has held Senior Executive positions in the former Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the former Australian Crime Commission. Hamish has also served in a range of intelligence, policy, planning, and program delivery roles in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Attorney General’s Department, the Australian Senate and the former Office of Transport Security.

Hamish started his career in the National Museum of Australia.