Associate Professor Benjamin Turnbull
🧑🏫 Senior Fellow - Higher Education Academy. 2026.
❤️🩹 Mental Health First Aid. 2025.
🐦⬛ Member, Association of Old Crows. 2024.
💻 Senior Member of the IEEE. 2022.
🖥️ Member of the ACM. 2022
🔐 CISSP, (ISC)2. 2015.
🎓 PhD, Information Technology, University of South Australia. 2007.
🎓 Bachelor of Information Technology (Software Engineering), Honours 1st Class, University of South Australia. 2003.
The Short Spiel
Associate Professor Benjamin Turnbull is a cybersecurity researcher, educator and academic leader at UNSW Canberra, with more than two decades of experience spanning research, teaching and professional practice. His work sits at the intersection of cybersecurity, simulation and emerging technology, with a focus on developing practical solutions for complex challenges across Defence, government, industry and education. Through research leadership, curriculum innovation and sustained professional engagement, he contributes to strengthening Australia’s cyber capability and developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
The Long Spiel
Associate Professor Benjamin Turnbull is a cybersecurity researcher, educator and academic leader at UNSW Canberra. His work sits at the intersection of cybersecurity, simulation and emerging technology, with a focus on developing practical approaches to understanding, testing and strengthening complex cyber systems.
His research is applied and mission-oriented, connecting academic innovation with real-world challenges across Defence, government, industry and education. He develops cyber simulation environments, analytical methods and decision-support tools that help organisations anticipate emerging threats, assess potential responses and make informed decisions under uncertainty. These are often AI/ML led, and designed for bespoke networks beyond the corporate network environment.
Associate Professor Benjamin Turnbull has led multidisciplinary research programs and sustained collaborations with government agencies, Defence organisations, industry partners and universities. This research has been translated into operational exercises, security analysis, software platforms, educational resources and specialist research infrastructure. This includes whole-of-government cyber exercises integrating technical, social and online environments, the analysis of emerging national digital systems, and cybersecurity learning environments used across multiple education sectors.
With more than two decades of cybersecurity teaching experience, Associate Professor Benjamin Turnbull has played a central role in shaping cybersecurity education at UNSW Canberra. He has created and led undergraduate, honours, postgraduate and professional programs, contributing across the full educational lifecycle - from curriculum strategy and university approval to course design, teaching, assessment and continuous improvement. His educational practice emphasises contemporary, industry-relevant and scenario-driven learning, by introducing simulation, wargaming and authentic professional environments into cybersecurity courses, helping students develop the technical knowledge, critical thinking and decision-making capabilities required for complex operational settings.
Associate Professor Benjamin Turnbull also provides leadership in research strategy, researcher development and institutional capability. In senior academic leadership roles, he has strengthened collaboration across the ADFA and Canberra City campuses, improved research planning and oversight, supported new research infrastructure and helped build an inclusive and ambitious research culture.
His broader contribution includes doctoral supervision, academic mentoring, professional service and sustained engagement with the Australian cybersecurity community. Through research, education and leadership, Associate Professor Benjamin Turnbull is committed to strengthening Australia’s cyber resilience and developing the people, systems and institutions required to navigate an increasingly complex security environment.
Research Focus
🔐 Cybersecurity and resilient systems: Developing practical approaches to securing computers, networks, cyber-physical systems and emerging digital infrastructure.
🎮 Cyber simulation, exercises and wargaming: Creating realistic environments that integrate technical, social and online dynamics for training, experimentation, capability assessment and strategic analysis.
🧭 Cyber situational awareness and decision support: Designing methods and platforms that help organisations interpret complex cyber environments and make better decisions under uncertainty.
🔎 Digital forensics and emerging devices: Advancing forensic methods for connected, embedded and non-traditional technologies, including Internet of Things systems.
🤖 Data-driven cyber analysis: Applying automation, large-scale data analysis and computational methods to identify patterns, assess risk and improve cyber analysis.
🧠 Knowledge representation and reasoning: Structuring complex cyber knowledge to support automated reasoning, scenario development and informed decision-making.
🚀 Emerging technology security: Examining the opportunities, risks and security implications associated with rapidly evolving digital technologies.
Education, Leadership and Engagement
🎓 Cybersecurity education and curriculum innovation: Designing contemporary, industry-informed programs and courses across undergraduate, honours, postgraduate and professional education.
🕹️ Scenario-based learning: Using simulation, wargaming and authentic operational scenarios to build technical capability, critical thinking and professional judgement.
🏛️ Defence and government engagement: Translating research into operational capability, policy insight, training and practical tools through sustained collaboration with public-sector partners.
🤝 Industry and research partnerships: Bringing together multidisciplinary teams from academia, government, Defence and industry to address complex cybersecurity challenges.
🧪 Research infrastructure and capability: Establishing specialist environments that enable secure, sensitive and Defence-aligned cybersecurity research.
👥 Research supervision and mentoring: Supporting doctoral researchers and academics through supervision, research project design, grant development, publication strategy and career mentoring.
🧭 Academic and research leadership: Strengthening research culture, strategic planning and collaboration across disciplines, programs and campuses.
🌐 Professional and scholarly service: Contributing expertise to research assessment, academic conferences, scholarly journals, recruitment, promotion and professional cybersecurity organisations.
🏆 Professional recognition: Recognised nationally for contributions to cybersecurity research, education, leadership and professional practice.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
🏆 Winner, Cyber Security Professional of the Year (Technology, Media and Telecommunications), 2024 Australian Cyber Security Awards (and overall finalist)
Associate Professor Benjamin Turnbull conducts applied research at the intersection of cyber security, simulation and emerging technology. His work focuses on developing cyber simulation and wargaming environments, decision-support tools, digital forensic methods and approaches to cyber situational awareness that help organisations understand complex threats, test potential responses and strengthen operational resilience.
His research is undertaken in collaboration with partners across Defence, government, industry and academia, with outcomes translated into operational exercises, analytical platforms, software, policy insights and educational resources. He has also lead multidisciplinary research programs, supervise higher degree researchers, mentor emerging academics and develop specialist infrastructure that enables secure and Defence-aligned cyber research.
Current research activities include:
🔐 Cyber security and resilient systems — strengthening the security of networks, connected devices and emerging digital infrastructure.
🎮 Cyber simulation and wargaming — creating realistic environments for experimentation, training, capability assessment and strategic decision-making.
🧭 Cyber situational awareness — helping decision-makers interpret complex cyber environments and respond effectively under uncertainty.
🔎 Digital forensics — developing methods for investigating connected, embedded and non-traditional devices.
🤖 Data-driven cyber analysis — applying automation and computational techniques to identify patterns, assess risk and support cyber operations.
🧠 Knowledge representation and decision support — structuring complex information to support reasoning, scenario design and informed decision-making.
🎓 Cyber education research — using simulation, authentic scenarios and evidence-informed learning design to build practical cyber capability.
My Teaching
Teaching @ UNSW
Co-Creator Bachelor of Cyber Security (Pass, Honours) - Live in 2025
Development: In 2023, I co-designed and scaffolded this program, worked with industry and UNSW stakeholders, represented UNSW Canberra at high-level discussions, and ensured program and course approvals.
Subject Matter Expert, Graduate Certificate, MBA-X, Cyber Security Leadership - Live in 2024
Development: Contributed to course design and structure.
Co-Creator and Co-Program Director, UNSW Online Cyber Security Masters Program
This program is comprised of the following:
o Cyber Security Graduate Certificate
o Cyber Security Graduate Diploma (Management and Leadership)
o Cyber Security Masters (Management and Leadership)
o Cyber Security Graduate Diploma (Security Engineering)
o Cyber Security Masters (Security Engineering)
I designed and scaffolded the program, working with industry and UNSW stakeholders. I represented UNSW Canberra at high-level discussions, I then ensured program and course approvals.
I then ran half of this program, including 9 courses, for 2.5 years as the Co-Program Director (UNSW Canberra Director), 2019 - 2023.
Assistant Creator and Co-Program Director, Bachelor of Computing and Cyber Security
Development: Assisted in program structure, content design and scaffolding.
Operation: Co-Program Director (2017-2018). I was the founding Co-Director, transitioning from a Bachelor of IT to the emerging Computing and Cyber Security.
Creator and Director, Bachelor of IT/Cyber Honours Program.
I developed the program structure, content design and scaffolding. I then directed this program between 2015-2016 and 2019 - 2021.
Consultant, Masters of Cyber Security – Security Operations, Forensics, Advanced Tradecraft
In 2015,I consulted on program and specialisation structures. I then taught into this program 2015-2017.