In episode 30, Mandy Haeburn-Little chats with members of the team at ISC2, the latest National Cyber Resilience Centre Group National Ambassador. Mandy is joined by Ed Parsons, VP, Global Markets & Member Relations; Dr Sanjana Hehta, Senior Director, Advocacy; Andy Woolnough, EVP, Corporate Affairs; and Alex Mortimer, Manager, Global Academic Partnerships.

ISC2 is the world’s leading membership association for cybersecurity; it is probably best known for its gold standard certification, CISSP. However, as you will discover on the podcast, there is much more to the organisation. The team talked about the work they do in research, training, and certification. They also explain the vital work they do in advocacy to ensure the relevant policymakers understand the needs of their members in three main areas of focus: workforce development, professionalisation of the sector, and critical issues of the day.

During the discussion, Ed Parsons also explains why ISC2 decided to become a National Ambassador and how they see the NRCRG model as a perfect fit to demonstrate their commitment to making an impact in the UK, particularly in developing and expanding the cyber talent pipeline, and working closely with the regional centres to make a positive impact in local communities.

In Episode 29, we turn on another National Ambassador, Baseel Group. Mandy Haeburn-Little is joined by the dynamic husband-and-wife team that is the driving force behind Baseel. Paresh Deshmukh is the Group CEO, while Poorva Deshmukh is the Group Managing Director.

Baseel is familiar to the CRC network; they have been working with multiple centres as Cyber Essentials Partners, but, in line with their global operation and ambitions, they have become National Ambassadors of the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group. During the conversation, they explained the global nature of the business and how they use specialist partners with particular areas of expertise, which enables them to offer multiple high-quality services and solutions to all customers, regardless of their requirements.

They also explain their appetite for innovation and development, which keeps Baseel at the forefront of technology. Paresh teases listeners by sharing a few of the products in development, such as a Happiness and well-being platform and another to provide end-to-end funding solutions for businesses of all sizes.

Paresh and Poorva also share their reasons for becoming National Ambassadors and their wish to be involved in various workstreams and the Cyber PATH programme, which aligns perfectly with their global Intern Programme.

It is clear from the conversation that Baseel has solid values and a desire to give back to the business community. Both Paresh and Poovra speak with passion about the Baseel ‘family’ and what they are doing to give back to the business community and their charitable work through the Maulee Foundation, an organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable development and improving the lives of marginalised communities around the world.

Once again, it is an open and passionate discussion led by Mandy that reveals the genuine and core values on which Baseel Group is founded.

In episode 28, we return to the important topic of Diversity in Cyber, and a second episode devoted to Neurodiversity.  Mandy Haeburn-Little is joined by Karen Blake, CEO of Tech Talent Charter, and Caroline Turner, Founder and CEO of Creased Puddle. Karen’s mission with Tech Talent Charter is to drive inclusion and diversity across the tech ecosystem. She discusses the need to equip organisations with practical insights to make a real difference and encourage senior-level buy-in. She highlights that this starts with recognising why data is essential, understanding how to interpret it, and what to do with it. Karen also shares her thoughts on how we ensure we’re not working within a system that is set up for neurodiverse people to fail.

Caroline Turner’s reasons for launching Creased Puddle were based on personal experience. She is an ex-police officer whose son was diagnosed as neurodivergent. In her quest for information, she discovered there was a lack of quality guidance and support, and any that was available focused on a deficit narrative, which she believes only tells half the story. This, and her drive to improve the understanding and neurodivergence within the criminal justice system led her to start the company. She outlines why it’s essential to work with companies to identify their specific requirements and then deliver training that meets these needs.

It’s a compelling episode that celebrates the progress that has been made in recent years. However, both guests are quick to highlight what still needs to happen if we are to tap into the opportunities of embracing a neurodivergent workforce. Both are not only passionate but also highly knowledgeable on the topic, which makes it an engaging, interesting, and worthwhile episode.

In episode 27, we return to our National Ambassador Focus to introduce our latest National Ambassador, Resilience. On the podcast, Mandy Haeburn-Little is joined by four senior members of the Resilience team: Si West, Director, Customer Engagement; Rehan Hussain, Head of Underwriting, International; Jack Jenner, International Head of Distribution & Strategy; and Tom Egglestone, Global Head of Claims.

Si West opens the conversation by stating Resilience’s mission is to make businesses cyber resilient to material losses. He goes on to explain that they do this by helping companies assess, measure, and manage cyber risk by connecting risk quantification software, in-house cybersecurity expertise, and insurance into a single solution. This enables continuous improvement and clear alignment across risk, therefore improving cyber security and financial leadership by translating security threats and controls into actionable financial prioritisation.

The conversation among the team explores a number of facets that make Resilience’s offering unique and innovative. During the chat, they discuss how they assist clients in communicating in a financial language that resonates with the Board, something they believe is essential if adequate cyber budgets are to be maintained. They ably explain why “Being able to quantify risk is a game changer”.

They also discuss how they are bringing a risk management culture to cyber and how they build rapport, starting with their innovative onboarding approach for new clients.

It’s an interesting discussion that covers a wide range of topics related to the business and its products, such as the Risk Profile Builder and the Breach Attack Simulation tools. It also provides some interesting insights into the variances of risk across different countries and how they adapt to the nuances of local markets.

In our latest episode of the Cyber Versed podcast, we continue with our mini-series on Diversity in Cyber; this time, we are looking at Neurodiversity. Three exceptional guests join Mandy Heaburn-Little: Dr Emma Philpott MBE, CEO at IASME Consortium; Jonathon Ellison OBE, Director of National Resilience and Future Technology at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC); and Jess Burden, Security Engineer at IASME Consortium.

During the discussion, all three more than adequately explain the numerous advantages of employing neurodivergent people. Both Jonathon and Emma outline how they have not only embraced neurodivergent workforces but also demonstrate the many benefits and how both organisations are thriving because of it. Indeed, Jonathon explains that he considers their attitude towards recruiting a broad range of neurodivergent people as ‘mission-critical’.

Jess Burden also provides an open and very honest insight as a neurodivergent employee who has progressed in IASME to become a security engineer. She explains very clearly some of the challenges faced by her and many others and how her colleagues and the culture at IASME have helped her progress and grow as an individual and a valuable employee.

All in all, it’s a great insight into neurodivergence and the vital role a neurodiverse workforce can play in the success of all businesses of any size.

In Episode 25, Mandy Haeburn-Little speaks to the team from SAS, the latest addition to the growing number of National Ambassador organisations.

Mandy is joined by Caroline Barnett, Principal Consultant; Nicky Furlong, Senior Director, Northern Europe, Public Sector, Health and Life Sciences; David Shannon, Head of Hyperautomation, NI&UK; and Dr Iain Brown, Head of Data Science, Northern Europe.

It’s an interesting insight into the broad range of work undertaken by one of the leading global software companies to assist clients in making the best use of their structured and unstructured data. During the discussion, the team discussed a wide range of topics, from their ethos and culture to the need for transparency when using AI and Generative AI to how they predict what’s coming next. 

They cite some fantastic examples of how their work is helping in healthcare, such as their work with Patricia Maguire, Professor of Biochemistry at University College Dublin, on AI_PREMie. This potentially life-saving solution aims to empower clinicians by developing a powerful risk stratification tool that will help them diagnose and manage women affected by preeclampsia.

Mandy also poses the question about how to avoid being freightened of AI, and she invites the team to explain the difference between Artificial Intelligence and Automation. It is an informative episode from start to finish and well worth a listen.

In episode 24, Mandy Haeburn-Little takes a deep dive into the work of one of the Regional Centres—the Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre. During her conversation with the centre Director, Detective Superintendent Paul Lopez, she highlights again how Eastern CRC differs from the other centres, particularly in the type of companies and industry sectors it supports.

Paul begins by explaining how he arrived in cyber and why he thinks this role is the most important and impactful job he has done in all of his years in policing. Paul also outlines his ambitions and goals for the future. He will continue to promote the CRC network as a police-led, business-focused initiative in order to establish the Eastern Centre as a one-stop-shop for all things cyber. Paul accepts they will have only some of the answers or solutions. Still, he wants business owners to appreciate that if they don’t have the answers, they will be able to introduce the right person or organisation that will be able to help.

Paul also touches on the Cyber PATH programme and Fiona Bail‘s work in delivering this crucial element of the CRC initiative, which is building an elite talent pipeline of students who want a career in cyber.

It’s a highly positive and engaging exploration of the geographical, commercial and cyber landscape in the Eastern Region. Moreover, it adequately outlines and promotes the opportunities in policing for anyone considering a career in crime prevention or, indeed, cyber!

This is the first of a series of Cyber Versed podcasts looking at diversity in cyber. And to start the series, we’re looking at women in policing to coincide with International Women’s Day. And who better to host this series than Mandy Haebrurn-Little, who was named Cyber Woman of the Year in 2021. 

Mandy is joined by an impressive panel of women for the podcast; they are Fiona Bail, Detective Chief Inspector and Cyber PATH Lead for the National Cyber Resilience Centre; Leanne Alleyne, Chief Inspector, NPCC Cybercrime Programme, and Mary-Anne Dickson, Detective Constable NPCC Cybercrime Programme.

It is an open and transparent look at policing from a female perspective. Each guest shared their reason for getting into policing, how they found the experience at the time, and what has changed now. They also offered useful advice and encouragement for young women considering policing as a career choice, and the over-riding advice is to speak to women in your local police as a starting point. Leanne and Mary-Anne both stressed that there is a broad range of career options in policing.

Mandy also talks to them about the gender gap in cyber and the need to encourage more young women to consider technology, and in particular, cyber, as a career path. Fiona’s advice here is to explore the Cyber PATH programme, where cyber experience is not a prerequisite and where they are looking for students with a variety of skills. 

In episode 22, Mandy Haeburn-Little meets up with some of the team from The South East Cyber Resilience Centre.

Mandy kicks off the conversation by asking the centre director, Chris White, about his new experience setting up a business and being ‘Head of Everything’. He explains which skills have transferred well to his new role with the centre. Then, Chair Glen Hymers chats about how he worked with the team to build the board and set the centre up as a business. He also outlines how he views his role as Chair and how he harnesses the skills and talent around the table to deliver the best for the centre. In the process of the discussion with Mandy, he manages to pick up the new name, ‘Harmonious Choirmaster’!

It’s a great insight into the workings of a Regional Centre that adequately outlines its purpose and the passion with which its services are delivered. Other topics include a fascinating look at the global tangible and intangible assets and how that helps us define the status of the skills gap in cyber.

In this episode, Mandy is joined by Chris White, Director of South East Cyber Resilience Centre; Glen Hymers – Chair of South East Cyber Resilience Centre and Civil Servant at The Cabinet Office; Sharif Gardner – Head of Defence, Military and Law Enforcement, UK, Ireland & Nordics at SANS Institute and David Scutt – Global Head of HP Wolf Security Sales and Non-Executive Director of the South East Cyber Resilience Centre.

In episode 21, Mandy Haeburn-Little chats with some of the team involved with the National Cyber Resilience Centre for the West Midlands. She talks with the Centre Head, Vanessa Eyles, about how she came to be involved with the centre and her experience of moving from policing into running a business which was already established when she arrived. She speaks with passion about her team and their moral compass and shared vision to help the business sector become more resilient and prevent cybercrimes.

In this episode, Mandy is joined by: 

Vanessa Eyles, Managing Director, The National Cyber Resilience Centre for West Midlands

Usman Khan – IAP Consulting 

Emma Daniel – Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire

Martin Nash – Head of Cyber Security & Information Assurance (CS&IA) Services, CDS Defence & Security

In episode 20, Mandy Heaburn-Little explores the work of one of the Regional Centres – The National Resilience Centre for Wales. She looks at the purpose and mission of the regional centres and what the centre in Wales is specifically doing to support SMEs in the region. It is an interesting insight that highlights the ways in which government, policing, the private sector and academia are delivering positive outcomes in the local business community.

Mandy is joined on the podcast by Paul Peters, Managing Director at The Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales; Simon Tee, Managing Partner at Kilsby & Williams and Chairman at The Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales; Mike Learmond, Senior Development Manager, Wales – Federation of Small Businesses, Paul Hall, Head of Cyber and Innovation at the Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales.

In episode 19, host Mandy Haeburn-Little is joined by Stephen Ridley, Head of Cyber and Becki Betts, Commercial Lines Product & Proposition Manager, both at Aviva. Aviva is the most recent addition as a National Ambassador company and the first from the insurance sector.

During the conversation, they talk about the various cyber insurance products and services that are available to small businesses and touch on the lack of awareness of such policies among SMEs.

The two also comment on why Aviva was keen to support the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group and the Regional Centres by becoming a National Ambassador, picking out their desire to share data, knowledge and experience, and the opportunities to work with the Cyber Path programme as two of the many reasons.

It’s an interesting conversation that provides some helpful insight into Aviva and what support is available to SMEs in the event of a cyber attack.

In Episode 18, Mandy Haeburn-Little hosts a roundtable discussion focusing on Cyber PATH; all that policing is doing nationally to support students, innovation and new skills, and making sure those skills are available to the business community. Joining Mandy on the podcast are:

Fiona Bail, National Cyber PATH lead, National Cyber Resilience Centre Group

Sharif Gardner, Head of Defence, Military and Law Enforcement, UK, Ireland & Nordics, SANS Institute

James Duncan, Security Cloud Solutions Architect, Microsoft

Rania Hindy, Studying Physics/Computer Science and current Cyber PATH Student, National Cyber Resilience Centre Group

Matt Tomlinson, Associate Tutor, Cardiff Metropolitan University, and former Cyber PATH Student at The Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales

In this episode, Mandy Haeburn-Little hosts a round table discussion focusing on the need for a national voice on behalf of the SME community. It’s an inspiring, insightful and instructive discussion among the guests who are:

• Maxine Bulmer, Vice-President Consulting Delivery, CGI
• Simon Newman, CEO of the Cyber Resilience Centre for London
• Bruce Reekie, National Ambassador Workstream Project Manager, National Cyber Resilience Centre Group
• Daniel Patefield, Head of Programme, Cyber and National Security at techUK

In this episode, Mandy Haeburn-Little hosts a round table discussion about promoting the importance of cyber intelligence and cyber resilience across the Business and Third Sector community. It’s an open and insightful discussion among the guests who are: Alex Cable – Area VP, WEMEA, Chainalysis Ian Kirby – Detective Superintendent, NPCC National Cybercrime Programme & National Cyber Resilience Centre Group Paul Peters – Temporary Detective Superintendent, Director of The Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales Andy Gould – Detective Chief Superintendent, National Cybercrime Programme Lead, City of London Police Max Bruce – Strategy & Engagement Manager, NFIB Protect, City of London Police

In Episode 15, Sharif Gardner, Head of Defence, Military and Law Enforcement, UK, Ireland & Nordics at SANS Institute, provides a fascinating insight into his journey and how he ‘fell’ into cyber. In the podcast, he talks about the work SANS do and the range of training courses they provide to organisations around the globe. Sharif explains SANS’ seven cyber curriculums, which offer comprehensive courses tailored to specific skill sets. He also explains how an organisation of the SANS scale remains agile and able to provide up-to-the-minute information and solutions.

In Episode 14, Mastercard’s David Cox, Head of the European Cyber Resilience Centre, joins Mandy to discuss his role and the work done by the ECRC. David explains the principles of the four P’s (Prepare, Prevent, Protect and Pursue) and what these mean to Mastercard. In an enlightening discussion, David also discusses the organisation’s goal to bring people together to share knowledge, collaborate and become a best-in-class centre of excellence. He also explains their work with Paytechs and Fintechs and how their Strive UK initiative supports the nation’s micro and small businesses to adapt and thrive in the digital economy. David also touches on the Mastercard culture and how their ‘Decency Quota’ gives something back to the community.

In this podcast, John McDiarmid discusses how NatWest Group ensures that their cyber security development, on which their customers desperately rely, keeps pace with the ever-growing innovation within the banking industry. At the same time, Amanda Scott gives us a first-hand explanation of how NatWest’s AI-powered assistant, Cora, has become a growing digital influence in how they serve customers. 

Microsoft joins us once again to deep dive into the increasing threats small businesses are facing in the rapidly growing Cyber Security Space. Jonathan Davies discusses protecting the world, one signal at a time with Microsoft’s advanced AI and machine learning technology and Lesley Kipling helps us understand staying ahead of the game whilst navigating the rapid and sophisticated cyber-attacks of today.

Episode 11 is a celebration of newly joined NCRCG Ambassador Microsoft, as Mandy sits down with Sian John, Director SCI Strategic Growth Business Development, and Paul Kelly, Director Security Business Group, to hear about how a major global technology organisation manages the evolving threat of cybercrime at scale.  From practical tips on how to secure your everyday activity across Microsoft applications, to their expert perspective on our student Cyber PATH initiative, not only do we get a sense of reassurance to have such sharp minds leading the charge against online crime, we also gain a sense of hope – it looks like we’re winning.

In Episode 10, Ben Fletcher, Group Chief Financial Officer of The Very Group, brings us a unique perspective in his conversation with Mandy as they discuss the priorities of a role working in finance for a major retailer while juggling the increasing cyber security risks that come with being such a prominent organisation.  Exploring themes of risk, workplace culture, collaboration and more, Ben offers us a rare insight into the workings of a huge multi category retailer, with some surprises along the way.  In listening to Ben, we realise that finance is ultimately about safeguarding organisations for the future, a mission which dovetails nicely with cyber resilience and expounds the partnership between the National CRC Group and The Very Group as one of their Founding National Ambassadors.

For Episode 9, we’re bringing you a bumper special to celebrate the UK’s first National Cyber Resilience Centre Network Summit and Cyber Security Awareness Month. With four guests drawn from Centre leadership and our National Ambassadors, this roundtable conversation covers everything from our work as a National network to the increasing importance of cyber issues amongst the business community and how this is being tackled. Featuring Nick Bell from National CRC Group, Alex Cable of Chainalysis, Andy Richardson from the South East CRC, and Richard Holmes of CGI, we’re offering you a front-row seat to the most exclusive cyber discussions happening in the UK right now.

Episode 8 features John McDiarmid, Head of Security and Information Governance at NatWest Group, sitting down with our host Mandy Haeburn-Little to dive into the complexities of cybersecurity in the financial services industry. This dynamic chat covers so much – from NatWest’s commitment to staff development to working in security throughout the pandemic and the skills needed in cyber security – that we might need to follow up with a part 2!

In episode 7 of CyberVersed, Mandy Haeburn-Little welcomes Alex Cable, Regional Director at Chainalysis, one of our Founding Ambassadors. Alex discusses why she initially got involved with cyber, the rise of cryptocurrency and the importance of ensuring businesses plan for ransomware attacks. The two go on to discuss how businesses can use Blockchain to benefit their existing supply chains.

In episode 6 of the CyberVersed podcast, Mandy Haeburn-Little is joined by Richard Krishnan, Lead of Cyber and Technology at KPMG, one of our Founding Ambassadors. Richard discusses his journey within the cyber industry, the culture of KPMG and the importance of attracting new and younger peo~ple to policing. The two go on to discuss the importance of the National Ambassador Programme and what KPMG is currently doing to build cyber resilience within the UK.

In episode 5 of the CyberVersed podcast, Mandy-Haeburn-Little is joined by Richard Holmes, Senior Vice President of cyber security at CGI and one of the Founding Ambassadors of the NCRCG. Richard discusses his current role at CGI, the different CSR activities they are engaged with, the future of CGI within information technology and why CGI became a Founding Ambassador of the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group. The two also discuss the importance of bringing a balanced and holistic approach to cyber security and why context is key when implementing cyber solutions for any business.

In episode 4, Mandy Haeburn-Little is joined by Ilyas Mansha, Managing Director of Accenture Security and current Ambassador Steering Group member. Ilyas explains his background in cyber security and gives an overview of the services Accenture provides to support their customer in dealing with digital challenges. The two delve into current topics such as Ransomware, the Metaverse and the need to stay on top of technological advances. Ilyas describes how many businesses need to do more to combat the threat of cyber-attacks and discusses the current role of the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group and its plans to help improve cyber resilience in the United Kingdom.

One of the leading minds within industry, Mark has an extensive background in strengthening supply chains and is passionate about raising awareness of cyber resilience and its importance to SMEs. In this podcast, Mark discusses why he initially got involved in cyber security, the important role of the regional CRCs for local businesses and why it’s crucial to expand the CRC network and continue the debate surrounding cyber.

Angela describes her policing journey from her roots in Scotland and the challenges of balancing career ambitions with motherhood, through her move to London to focus on national crime strategies around fraud and cyber, and her recent promotion to Commissioner. The two also discuss the role of women in policing and technology in general, as well as the widening routes into policing designed to attract a diverse workforce reflective of the population they protect.

Peter explains his passion for and experience in economic crime and his responsibility for fraud and cybercrime. He talks openly about how policing is performing concerning cybercrime and how law enforcement agencies prioritise it. He also talks about the need for training and encouraging a diverse range of talents to come into law enforcement. It is an interesting discussion where they also chat about technological advances, how this offers opportunities for criminal behaviour, and what needs to be done to minimise the emerging risks this poses. The two also discuss the vital role of the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group and their desire to attract more Ambassadors from big businesses to work with them and help shape the future of cyber-awareness and fighting cybercrime.