Cyber Security and a Global Pandemic

Greater Manchester has a £5 billion digital economy and the biggest creative and digital cluster outside London. The pandemic had a huge impact, it has driven digital transformation at a scale and pace we’ve not seen before. Through an increase in remote working and businesses and services moving online, all vital to survival and growth, we know the risk and incidents of cyber-crime have increased – that sector has grown and remains economically significant with the UK’s cybersecurity industry worth an estimated £8.3bn to the economy.

Greater Manchester is taking its position as an internationally recognised centre of digital innovation, research, and practice as we strive to position the region as the UK and European centre for cyber and digital ethics, trust and security.

This panel will discuss what the last 12 months have meant for cybersecurity. Of the changes we’ve seen, both positive and negative, what must we ensure remains? For a sector that has seen growth but also been hit hard, what can we learn from a global crisis, to ensure we build back better?

Moderator

• Victoria Knight - Strategic Campaigns Director, BAE Systems Applied Intelligence

Panellists:

1.       Neil Jones - Head of Cyber Security and Innovation, GM Cyber Resilience Centre

2.       Raj Badiani - Head of Digital, Raytheon UK

3.       Professor Richard Greene - Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, Manchester Metropolitan University

4.       Saskia Coplans - Founder and Security Consultant, Digital Interruption