DIGITAL
CHALLENGES AND BEST PRACTICES IN THE EVEREVOLVING LANDSCAPE OF CYBERSECURITY
The latest North West Tech Leaders Forum, hosted by Gardner Systems, was recently held at the Museum of Liverpool Life. It brought together 12 regional tech leaders for a day of insightful discussions. The topic was cybersecurity, which included the current threat landscape, the security skills gap and how, when all else fails, to effectively respond to a cybersecurity incident. We must ensure that AI technologies benefit humanity while minimising risks and potential harms. The ethical dimension of AI includes addressing issues like algorithmic bias, data privacy, and the impact of automation on jobs. It also encompasses the responsibility of AI developers and organisations to create transparent, fair, and accountable AI systems. Artificial Intelligence is not just a buzzword; it is a profound technological shift reshaping industries and our daily lives. AI’s potential is vast and exciting and as we journey into this AI-powered future, we must navigate it cautiously but ethically. James Smethurst, Managing Director, The Social Desk
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Liverpool Chamber
Joining the tech leaders were industry experts from cybersecurity company Sophos, which included Jon Hope and its Director of Cybersecurity Incident Response, Pete MacKenzie. Initial discussions focused on the current state of ransomware, exploring the sophistication of threats, the professionalism of the threat actors behind them and why some organisations find themselves targeted. While the cybersecurity threat is often a technically led exercise, its primary target is usually people. This led to a valuable discussion about how sophisticated cybercriminals target people, using techniques built around social engineering and encouraging people to overshare sensitive information, including logon credentials. The session also explored how relying on technology is not enough to combat threats and why
proactive threat hunting and real-time detection is essential. But it was also clear how complex a challenge this is for all organisations. This raised a further debate on managed cybersecurity services and as to whether, ultimately, this will become a necessity for most. The event again highlighted the complex challenge that cybersecurity brings for organisations big and small. But also showed how a forum such as this, bringing together leaders from business and cybersecurity companies, can help to build a better understanding of the challenges we face, and the solutions open to us. If you have a cybersecurity question or would like to join us and your IT peers at our next forum, then get in contact. You can email us at info@gardnersystems.co.uk
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