416 years ago today the ‘Gunpowder Plot’ to blow up the House of Lords was disrupted, accredited to an anonymous letter sent to the authorities.

Since the announcement of lockdown measures in countries around the world in early 2020, there have been persistent concerns amongst policymakers, academics, and the media that the Covid emergency and our response could exacerbate radicalisation. This could be either by creating vulnerabilities among a wider pool of individuals, by speeding up the process, or by intensifying it.

What a title and what an opportunity to speak to the wider security industry. These were my first thoughts when asked to write a short article on behalf of the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA) which I chair.

In the wake of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, an inquiry was undertaken to establish how such an atrocity was able to happen just 10 years after the London 7/7 bombings. As well as documenting the various failings that collectively exposed a route for the attack to take place, the subsequent report provided a series of recommendations for owners of large organisations and operators of public spaces and venues. One of these was a new Protect Duty.

OSINT (open source intelligence) can be a powerful intelligence and investigative tool but is too often overlooked and underdeveloped in the suite of capabilities available to investigators. In too many organisations there are significant barriers to the adoption of effective OSINT, as well as a failure to adapt fast enough to emerging technologies and data sources. A cultural shift is needed, as well as investment in technology, in order to elevate the status of OSINT and ensure that it is used to its full potential.

Fake news is typically used to inflame, influence, and destabilise political debate, drive culture wars, undermine traditional journalism and to promote appalling ideologies.
Misinformation has been with us for centuries, but social media has greased the rails when it comes to reach and availability. Fake news plays on our hopes and fears. It feeds any confirmation bias we might have, and it reinforces our beliefs and undermines our sense of enquiry or search for the truth.

Cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated and frequent within the energy industry. Whether it’s a direct attack on a gas pipeline like the Colonial Pipeline breach or a sweeping supply chain intrusion that infects up to a quarter of North American electrical utilities like the SolarWinds attack, the reality is that the next attack is a matter of when, not if.

All terrorists commit crimes that are based on some degree of hate: not all hate constitutes terrorism.
US pop star Taylor Swift, in her song Shake It Off, crooned 'And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate'. I am not a fan of her music but even I have to admit that particular hit was catchy.

The Euros 2020 final was an event hotly anticipated by the entire nation, all eager to see the England squad attempt to ‘bring it home.’ Hospitality venues across the country were overwhelmed with bookings from groups of people excited to celebrate the big match together and absorb the electrifying atmosphere.

In the lead up to September’s International Cyber Expo, CTB speaks to Lisa Ventura, award-winning Cyber Security consultant, founder and CEO of the UK Cyber Security Association and International Cyber Expo advisory board member.