May 16, 2024 at 10:49AM
The annual CYBERUK conference, hosted by the National Cyber Security Centre, focused on the theme “Future Tech, Future Threat, Future Ready”. While discussions addressed the future of security technology and Russian and Chinese cyber threats, the urgency for cyber resilience and collaboration was emphasized as a critical strategy to counter the evolving cyber threats, particularly those posed by China.
The main takeaways from the meeting notes are:
1. The CYBERUK conference had a strong focus on future cyber threats, particularly those posed by China. There was a notable shift in attention from Russia to China, with the director of GCHQ emphasizing the increasing cyber risk posed by China and the agency’s heightened focus on tackling Chinese cyber threats.
2. The UK intelligence community, in collaboration with allies and industry partners, is prioritizing efforts to combat cyber threats from nation-states and hostile actors, particularly from China. APT31 and Volt Typhoon were highlighted as significant threat groups from China, with a shift towards destructive attacks on critical national infrastructure.
3. The necessity of building a cyber-resilient nation was emphasized, given China’s ambitions for tech dominance and cyber supremacy. It was noted that there is a limited window of opportunity to act to ensure the threat from China does not escalate beyond control, and industry stakeholders were urged to take greater responsibility for the security of their products and assume liability for their security.
4. Collaboration across academia, the private sector, and the public sector was underscored as crucial for developing cutting-edge science and technology solutions for national security. The need to forge partnerships to out-cooperate and out-innovate adversaries was emphasized by the Foreign Secretary.
These clear takeaways from the meeting notes provide a comprehensive summary of the key themes and discussions at the CYBERUK conference, focusing on the evolving cyber threats, the shift in focus from Russia to China, and the imperative for building cyber resilience and fostering collaboration to address these challenges effectively.