Surf Life Saving NSW safeguards millions of records by delivering security training and policies across their statewide network

Surf Life Saving NSW was looking for a security solution for their clubs and branches across the state. Holding data on millions of Australians, they needed to minimise the risk of a security breach. They knew many of their volunteers would benefit from security training and standardised security policies have also provided a consistent framework.

We're using Apollo Secure to allow our Surf Clubs to evaluate their cybersecurity readiness and implement practical measures to enhance the protection of IT assets.

Matthew Ingersole

CIO

Challanges

Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) plays a critical role in protecting lives and supporting communities, with a mission to “save lives, create great Australians, and build better communities.” As a state-wide organisation supporting over a hundred clubs and branches — many operated by volunteers — SLSNSW needed to ensure that personal data on millions of Australians was kept safe.

Their decentralised structure created challenges for implementing consistent cybersecurity practices. Many branches lacked formal security training, policies varied across locations, and there was growing concern that a lack of awareness could lead to a breach. SLSNSW was seeking a solution that could provide scalable security support, education and governance — without burdening individual clubs.

Solution

SLSNSW partnered with Apollo Secure to implement a security solution tailored to the needs of a large, distributed organisation. Apollo Secure provided:

Centralised policy templates that were easy to adopt across clubs and branches
Security awareness training designed for volunteers and non-technical staff
User-friendly compliance tools to manage risk consistently and transparently

This allowed SLSNSW to deploy a uniform security posture across the state, while empowering each club and branch with practical tools and training to understand their role in safeguarding sensitive data.

Results

With Apollo Secure, SLSNSW successfully established a strong, unified approach to cybersecurity:

Hundreds of volunteers completed security training, boosting awareness and accountability
Consistent policies were adopted across clubs and branches, reducing the risk of human error
The organisation now demonstrates greater maturity in vendor and compliance reviews — supporting their commitment to safety and trust

Most importantly, Surf Life Saving NSW is better equipped to protect the personal information of the millions of Australians they serve, while staying true to their community-focused mission.