Coalition, a US-headquartered active insurance provider, has announced the expansion of its cybersecurity team in Australia, adding three specialists to enhance its efforts in safeguarding small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) against cyber threats.
This move comes as the country faces an uptick in data breaches, prompting heightened demand for cybersecurity solutions.
The newly hired professionals – George Oosthuizen, Glen Scott, and Alec Snazelle – bring a wealth of experience in cybersecurity, which Coalition plans to leverage as part of its broader strategy to protect its global policyholders.
John Roberts, general manager of security at Coalition, said that the hires are key to the company’s goal of building an advanced cybersecurity platform.
“Since inception, we’ve been focused on our not-so-secret plan to invest in an all-out cybersecurity platform with tools, technology, and intelligence to help protect all of our policyholders globally,” he said.
Oosthuizen will be based in Coalition’s Melbourne Security Support Centre.
With over 15 years of experience in cybersecurity architecture and threat detection, most recently as a senior security engineer at ZeroHash, Oosthuizen will focus on improving security frameworks for SMEs, both in Australia and globally.
In Perth, Scott has joined as a senior security analyst. Scott has 25 years of experience in IT and cybersecurity, with previous roles at HBF Health and Commonwealth Bank.
His background in incident response, ethical hacking, and vulnerability management is expected to support SMEs in strengthening their cybersecurity practices.
Snazelle, now a managed detection and response (MDR) analyst for Coalition in Canberra, brings extensive expertise in cybersecurity governance and compliance.
Previously with Deloitte, Snazelle will help implement Coalition’s MDR services, enabling businesses to better detect and respond to potential cyber threats.
Sam Weaver, Coalition’s general manager for Australia, said the appointments will help deliver tailored cyber insurance solutions.
“Our mission is to enable Australian SMEs to achieve greater cyber resilience; George, Glen, and Alec joining reflects our commitment to that goal,” he said.
The expansion of Coalition’s team comes amid a significant rise in data breaches across Australia.
According to the latest report from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), the first half of 2024 saw 527 data breaches, the highest recorded in over three years and a 9% increase from the previous six months.
The report indicated that 67% of these breaches were caused by malicious or criminal activity, with a large proportion linked to cyberattacks. The healthcare and government sectors were particularly affected, representing 19% and 12% of all reported breaches, respectively.
