Building cyber security resilience through education

Tech startups and scaleups typically find themselves in a fairly unique and enviable position: they still have the ability to maintain a high innovation velocity! However, this is juxtaposed against a desire to mature development processes and constantly improve quality. It is common for security to be absent or ill-defined in a product’s vision and, subsequently, absent or ill-defined when the product is launched. This product deficit becomes visible when external testing takes place, which can lead to the loss of key contracts or an ever lengthening sales cycle. This talk will explore the delicate balance between maintaining innovation velocity and improving processes; with a particular focus on high risk areas such as cyber security. It will also reflect on compliance drivers and how they can manifest to improve (or hinder!) development velocity.

Biography

Dr Nick Savage is an advisor for EdTech startups, helping them accelerate growth and capitalise on market potential. In this role at TryHackMe he has helped them to achieve an annual recurring revenue of greater than 20million USD. He also assists in the due diligence process for investors reviewing tech companies. Previously he was the head of the School of Computing at the University of Portsmouth where he led a substantial growth of research income and vice-chair of the Council of Heads and Professors of Computing in the UK. His technical interests are mostly about networking and systems architectures (at a device and interconnected device level – particularly the vulnerabilities that can result from assumptions regarding how devices interconnect – for example in implementations of BGP/ICMP/SSH/DNS), C and C++ programming (particularly fuzzing and analysing memory corruption vulnerabilities) and in the measurement and modelling of systems. He has deployed large scale (and highly scalable) systems on aws, built and maintained PKI systems and manages vulnerability scanning and monitoring systems. From a governance and compliance perspective, he has successfully led companies through Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type 2 audits and developed systems according to NIST800-53 and CIS benchmarks. He was a member of Working Group 3 for the European Commission’s Network and Information Security platform directive and has previously worked on projects funded by the Office of Communications, the European Commission and the Engineering and Physical Research Council.

 Strategic Resilience: Safeguarding Critical Infrastructures in a Geostrategic Landscape

The presentation will discuss the complex challenges geostrategic dynamics pose to protecting critical infrastructures. It will explore how organizations can build resilience to withstand and respond effectively to threats, including geopolitical tensions and cyberattacks. It will delve into strategic planning and collaborative approaches necessary for ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of vital systems. Through real-world case studies and actionable advice, organizations will gain valuable strategies to enhance resilience against a myriad of threats, ensuring seamless operations even amidst the most uncertain global scenarios.

Biography

Soraya is a highly experienced professional with a strong background in incident response, mobile forensics, computer forensics, and business information system security. Her role as a senior lecturer at the University of Portsmouth suggests that she is involved in educating students in these fields and providing them with theoretical and practical knowledge.

Soraya has worked for Microsoft and CISCO, which underlines her proficiency in industry-leading technologies, and her decision to continue this role on a freelance basis suggests a desire to share her knowledge beyond a traditional classroom setting.

Soraya’s contributions as a coach in cyber competitions like Hackathons, Tryhackme, and Cyber912, where she led students to Second place alongside prestigious universities such as Cambridge, Glasgow, and Royal Holloway of London, underscores her commitment to nurturing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Cybersecurity as a Backbone for Sustainability

Speaking of sustainability, cybersecurity is not the first thing which comes to our minds. However, a single cyberattack on critical infrastructure can have a catastrophic environmental impact. Cybersecurity is not merely an add-on to sustainability; it is a fundamental component; it is a backbone. Just as physical resilience is essential for withstanding natural disasters, cyber resilience is crucial for safeguarding sustainable systems from digital disruptions. This talk will focus on new ways cybersecurity acts as a silent guardian, paving the way for a more sustainable future. The talk will also address sustainable IT topics, cybersecurity emissions and impact on sustainability. The speaker will also introduce a new model for ecosystem’s sustainability through the lens of cybersecurity. 

Biography

Dr Gohar Sargsyan is an industry leader with a strong academic background. She is currently focusing on business sustainability, ESG investing, sustainable finance, business growth and cybersecurity topics. She has over 25 years of business and IT experience, including leadership roles, and has a successful track record in delivering complex multidisciplinary initiatives and solutions for different industries such as manufacturing, financial services, energy and utilities, transport and logistics, and the public sector. In Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) she drives sustainability business growth in Europe. She is appointed jury and expert for the European Commission’s innovation multiparter and multidisciplinary ICT programmes (cyber(security), secure societies, Green Digital, Deep Tech, Quantum tech, etc.). She is a guest lecturer at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. She is a regular (keynote)speaker and chair in international prominent events. She is an author of around 100 publications in international business and scientific journals and (co)editor of books.