As a Security industry, we, as, what may be referred to as Cyber Security Professionals tend to engage in multiple inter-industry conversations with those who have been anointed into the world of IT, Digital, and Cyber Security. However, given the general-public, and the SME potentially make up a wide proliferation on the map of the Cyber Criminals Surface of Attack, but that same Public and SME would seem to be left on their own and exposed when it comes to any support in the arena of Digital Defence. And let us also consider those at the higher end of the age scale in the profile of the Elder Citizen, who may enjoy the associated platforms deployed on the Internet – yet in many cases, these seniors are scared to trust, what has now become a dangerous interconnected environment.
And consider Infosecurity 2018 event in London, where we are again having inter-industry conversations, and listening to oxymoron’s from likes of the ex-Talk Talk CEO about Cyber Security, which in itself would seem to be based on contradictory view-point. But, the real issue here is, whilst in this example it was the public at large who suffered the direct consequences and post associated consequence of this high-profile Talk Talk cock-up provisioning robust cyber defenses, I am doubtful if many, or any of the run of the mill public, or busy SME’s attended this event.
Since 2008 I have had a personal ambition to support both under, and post graduates to spread their wings and minds into the disciplines of Cyber Security, for, in my opinion it is they who will serve us all one day to secure our over-complex wired world of distributed commerce and social interconnections. I have also sought to do a small bit for the local communities by supporting them with some sound advice at both public, and SME levels. Examples of which are producing simple Good/Best Practice Guides on subject like WiFi, Phishing, and On-Line Banking. Also, to spread the evangelistic work deeper into the community, I have also gone out there amongst the great unwashed, and presented to the Elder Citizens, Rotary Clubs, Local Authorities, and other social groups who are interested to securing their own, and their families electronic world.
To take this one step further, in May 2018 the group PCSA (Public Cyber Security Awareness) initiative was launched with backers from the world of IT, PR, and Cyber Professionals, with representation in the wider UK, and into the UAE and Brazil.
So, what is the PCSA I here you ask. Well, built on a decade of interaction with the small-fish in the Cyber Pond – Yes, the Public and SME’s. This is a group who are seeking to engage with the local communicates and get out there and go face-to-face with those areas which have to date either been ignored, or simply overlooked to spread the Cyber Good Practice discipline. We are also looking to produce some guides and materials which the representing members of PCSA may use inter their own communities, and right now I (we) are hopeful that we can put a small dent into the world of Cyber Adversities.
Will be the ones to counter and mitigate the march of the Cyber Threat – No! However, we are hopeful that by paying attention to those who are at risk, we can do our small bit to secure somebody’s digital experiences, and just maybe make a small difference.
John is the Principle at Shadow-Intelligence (Si), partnering with PALISCOPE, BreachAware and iStorage. He is a Visiting Professor at the School of Science and Technology, Nottingham, Trent University (NTU) and holds the appointment of Editor in Chief for the International Journal of Cyber Forensics and Advanced Threat Investigations (CFATI). For the last decade he has delivered training courses in the Middle, and Far East to Commercial, Industrial, the Financial Services Sector, and Military Agencies, including the UAE, US, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia (KL), Singapore, Argentina, and Sao Paulo
He served in the Royal Air Force 22 years’, specialising in Counterintelligence, working with UK Agencies such as GCHQ/CESG, and others in the fields of SIGINT, COMINT and Satellite Communications, holding appointments such as System ITSO for a CIA SCIF.
In the commercials sectors of IT/Cyber he has worked for/with Logica, Bae, T5, GM, Experian, Betfair, Palace of Westminster, House of Lords/Commons, TSol (Treasury Solicitors) and provided Consultancy to the Saudi Arabian MOD, TRA (Telecommunications Authority (Dubai) and the Military Academy of Malaysia (KL) on SOC, CSIRT, Digital Forensics and OSINT. Within the last 5 years he has focused on Geopolitics, with global expertise around the UAE and Russia, Anti-Terrorist Operations (ATO), Cyber-Warfare, Dezinformatsiya (Disinformation) and Maskirovka (Military Deception).
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