Katherine Mansted

Katherine Mansted is recognized in Australia for her expertise in cyber intelligence and national security, combining legal, policy, and intelligence experience to address security challenges in the digital era. As executive director of cyber intelligence at CyberCX, a prominent Australian cyber security company, Mansted leads a global team of intelligence analysts dedicated to detecting and preventing cyber threats targeting private and government organizations. She also serves as a senior fellow in the practice of national security at the ANU National Security College. Her research focuses on the intersection of information technology, democracy, and strategy.

Before her work in cyber intelligence, Mansted practiced as a commercial solicitor, served as a judge's associate in the High Court of Australia, and worked as a ministerial adviser in the Australian Government. She has held fellowships at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard and the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Mansted holds a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and bachelor's degrees in law and international relations from Bond University.

Mansted has contributed to significant cyber and disinformation investigations in the Asia-Pacific region. Her team at CyberCX uncovered the "Green Cicada Network," a network of at least 5,000 inauthentic accounts on X used to stoke political divisions in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other Western democracies, controlled by a Chinese-language artificial intelligence system. Mansted has noted that this network reflects a broader shift in China's approach to information operations and disinformation campaigns. The discovery highlighted the increasing threat of AI-powered influence operations targeting democratic institutions. Under her leadership, CyberCX Intelligence has developed a team with more than 50 percent women, exceeding industry averages for female representation.

Mansted regularly briefs government officials, business leaders, and public audiences on national security policy, cyber security, disinformation, and foreign interference. Her work has appeared in Foreign Affairs, The Australian, Nine/Fairfax, Sky, and on the ABC, and she has testified before parliamentary committees including the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. She lectures on propaganda and information war at the ANU National Security College and has previously taught cyber and international relations at Bond University. Mansted is a keynote speaker and commentator, offering a multidisciplinary perspective on cyber security, law, policy, and intelligence, and is regarded as an authoritative voice on security issues affecting democratic societies.