The Public Sector Podcast: Customer-Obsessed Cyber Security

Episode Overview:

What do sheep, cybersecurity, and customer service have in common? In this compelling and often humorous session, Joshua McKinsey shares how his background as a sheep farmer uniquely prepared him for a career in cybersecurity—and how public sector leaders can take a radically human-centric approach to cyber risk.

Joshua makes the case for customer-obsessed cybersecurity: an approach that puts the needs, frustrations, and behaviours of users at the centre of every cyber decision. Drawing lessons from his work at Parliament NSW, he outlines three powerful pillars for leaders to adopt and practical ways to bridge the gap between technical controls and user impact.

Key Themes:

• Cyber Lessons from the Farm:
  What sheep can teach us about recurring risk behaviours—and how to avoid blaming users for systemic failures.

• Pillar 1: Customer-Obsessed Decision Making

  • Why every cyber decision should ask: “What’s the benefit to the user?”

  • Reframing “best practice” to actually reduce friction and risk

  • Removing redundant controls that offer no customer value

• Pillar 2: Marketing Cybersecurity Internally

  • Why cyber leaders must learn the language of product benefits, not just controls

  • How to tell better stories about cyber success—even when “nothing happens”

  • Low-effort, high-impact ideas like internal newsletters and walking the floor

• Pillar 3: Crisis Response Grounded in Trust

  • Building customer trust during data breaches or ransomware events

  • Communicating transparently and empathetically—even when things go wrong

  • Why having pre-written customer-centred comms is a must-have

Why You Should Listen:

This episode offers a refreshing, people-first lens on cybersecurity. Whether you’re a technical lead, policymaker, or public sector executive, Joshua’s message is clear: to protect systems, we must understand and serve the people who use them. Packed with humour, insight, and hard-won lessons, it’s a must-listen for anyone striving to lead with empathy in a high-stakes digital world.

Listen Now
Tune in to hear how cyber leaders can shift from reactive enforcement to proactive partnership—with customers at the centre of every click.