How a homegrown Cairns startup turned cybersecurity into a team sport

A Cairns-based cybersecurity startup called PhishGuard has been quietly onboarding more than 200 businesses across Far North Queensland since January 2026, offering a platform that turns staff security training into a competitive, game-like experience. The company, founded by former Queensland Police cybercrime officer Jenna Malouf in 2023, says its client list now includes the Cairns Regional Council, two private hospitals and a cluster of tourism operators along the Esplanade.

Why that matters right now

Cybercrime against Australian small and medium enterprises rose 41 percent in the 2024-25 financial year, according to the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s latest annual threat report. The typical attack vector was not a zero-day exploit but a simple phishing email that an untrained employee clicked. In Cairns, where the economy leans heavily on tourism, hospitality and health care-industries that handle customer payment data and sensitive health records-a single breach can shutter a business for weeks.

Local innovation with a global playbook

PhishGuard’s approach is deceptively simple. It sends simulated phishing texts and emails to staff, then scores teams on how quickly they report the bait. The platform publishes a live leaderboard visible across the organisation, and departments compete for a monthly shield that gets displayed in their break room. Malouf, speaking at the Cairns Innovation Hub on Lake Street in early July, told a gathering of small-business owners that the gamification element lifted reporting rates above 90 percent within three months at her pilot client, a 40-person accounting firm in Manunda.

The company charges a flat annual fee of $4,500 for businesses with up to 50 employees-a price point that undercuts most enterprise-grade security training suites by roughly 60 percent. For the cost of a single incident-response retainer, a small hotel or cafe can run unlimited simulation campaigns for a full year.

What sets PhishGuard apart from the dozen-odd competitors in the Australian market is its integration with the federal government’s voluntary Cyber Security Uplift Program, which became available in March 2026. Businesses that complete PhishGuard’s quarterly simulation cycle can automatically generate the compliance documentation required to receive the program’s small-business cybersecurity rebate, worth up to $2,500 annually.

What comes next

Malouf has told local media she plans to launch a consumer-facing version of the platform in early 2027 aimed at families and community groups, though no formal release date has been announced. In the meantime, the Cairns Chamber of Commerce is organising a free “PhishGuard walk-in” session for members on 2 August 2026 at its Aplin Street office, where any local business can try the platform for 30 days at no cost. For a city that already knows the sting of a wet-season washout, hardening the digital front door might be the most cost-effective protection money can buy.