Which Way is North? Insights from the Cyber Leaders’ Summit, London

Last week’s Cyber Leaders’ Summit in London was a powerful reminder that no matter how advanced our tech, the true strength of cybersecurity lies in human connection!

Under the theme of collaboration, communication, and clarity, host Jon Stainforth kicked day one off with a standout moment that set the tone for the entire event with a fun yet poignant exercise, illustrating that while we might all stand in the same room with the same goals, but without collaboration and communication, we might find ourselves pointing in different directions. However, by taking the time to listen and work together, we can find our north star and chart pathways to reach it!

Navigating Uncertainty

Uncertainty was a recurring theme throughout the day. In the realm of cybersecurity, threat actors thrive on chaos. By bringing calm to the chaos, we can put criminals at a disadvantage.

Five key topics emerged, each crucial in its own right:

AI

• Flashy Innovations: Around 50% of attendees were leveraging AI to enhance their businesses.
• Key Takeaway: Structure your data. Unstructured data can be weaponised if you introduce a Large Language Model (LLM) without understanding the data it accesses.

Culture

• Wide range of maturity: The industry is changing to Human Risk Management rather than awareness. But there’s still lots of organisations that struggle to get buy-in for more than annual training and phishing simulations.
• Relationships matter: conversation is our most powerful catalyst for change getting buy in and support really still is about understanding each other and creating shared visions.
• One size does not fit all: tools like Red Flags can provide insights and measures to help communicate the right message at the right time to the right people, an essential element of creating effective cultures that impact risk reduction.

Risk

• Cyber Protection Gap: The gap between what we protect and what needs protection.
• Basics Matter: Knowing what you need to protect is fundamental, though not always easy. Understanding your current and future tech stack is essential. Treating P3 incidents as P1 occasionally can help fix important issues before they escalate.

Skills

• Retention Over Shortage: The panel agreed that the challenge lies more in retaining talent than in a true skills shortage. Rapid advancement to top roles can lead to unfulfilling and stressful experiences. Efficiency is key; avoid duplicating roles and strive for alignment.

Supply Chain

• Beyond Forms: Effective supply chain management goes beyond filling out forms. Contextual questions are crucial, e.g., asking a yes/no question as to whether the organisation uses Single Sign-On (SSO) might not reveal that they only use it with a very limited scope.
• Collaborative Security: Instead of excluding SMEs struggling with high security standards, consider working with a select few to enhance their security, benefiting both parties.

Finding Our North Star

The summit made one thing crystal clear: our strength lies in unity. Through open dialogue and meaningful collaboration, we can tackle uncertainty head-on, whether that’s harnessing AI with care, closing protection gaps, keeping great people in the industry, or supporting our supply chains with smarter security practices. By moving forward together, we’re not just reacting to change but shaping the future. And with a shared sense of direction, we’ll keep steering toward that north star - a safer, stronger, more resilient cyber world for all!

Check our video out of what you missed! 

 Sarah Janes, CEO Layer8, CLS Knowledge Partner