Phronesis Security, Retrospect Labs team up for cyber incident simulation program

Melbourne-based cybersecurity consultancy Phronesis Security has teamed up with Perth-based Retrospect Labs to offer a cyber incident simulation program.

The program brings together Phronesis’s security-focused actionable plans and playbooks and Retrospect’s real-world cyber incident scenario simulations.

Founded by former Australian Government incident responders Jason Pang and Ryan Janosevic, Retrospect Labs specialises in cybersecurity exercises through a platform called Gauntlet. The exercises are available as either tabletop form or functional hands-on simulations, and can be done either on site or distributed.

In the announcement, Phronesis the partnership stemmed from the shared experience and history of CEO Elliot Dellys and Retrospect Labs chief operating officer Ryan Janosevic, who were both alumni of the Australian Signals Directorate.

“We are excited to offer not just a leading incident readiness program, but to work hand-in-glove so that those preparations can truly be put to the test. By partnering with Retrospect Labs, we provide a sovereign capability that is greater than the sum of its parts,” Dellys said.

“Ryan, Jason and I have all transitioned from government to the private sector before launching cyber start-ups in Australia. Together we bring insights derived from countering national threats to simply helping organisations manage the day-to-day.”

Commenting on the partnership, Janosevic said Retrospect sought to be known as a specialist to allow it to focus and develop specific skills and knowledge, so the firm was happy to have the opportunity to work closely with Phronesis to bring extra value to customers.

“Having worked together for ten years and started down the start-up journey almost simultaneously, there’s an intrinsic trust between us,” he said. “Shared knowledge, shared problems, but different skills and a different perspective means that together, we are uniquely placed to help our customers in a meaningful way.”

Phronesis specialises in security management and strategy through its security awareness and education, penetration testing, governance, risk and compliance consulting and virtual CISO (vCISO) offerings. The company was the first Australian cybersecurity firm to receive B-Corp certification earlier this year, and has also been named a PCI DSS Qualified Security Assessor Company.

Last month, the company appointed Barry Grek as its director of governance, risk and compliance to lead its strategic advisory services, with a focus on culture-centric cyber strategies, risk management programs and IRAP and PCI services.