In a recent CyberSecurity Magazine (CSM) Podcast, Philip Ingram MBE, a former senior British Military Intelligence Officer and current Content Lead for International Cyber Expo, sat down with Phillipa Jefferies to discuss the threat of nation states, the power of information, and the upcoming International Cyber Expo.  

 

During the podcast, Philip offered insight into the world of cybersecurity and state-sponsored attacks. When asked about nation state attacks specifically, Philip responded ‘the greatest threat [in cybersecurity] is nation states because they sponsor a lot of the cybercriminals within those state environments. They have more resources that they can throw at things.’  Their motivations? For China, Philip says, it’s ‘economics, economics, economics’ and for Russia it’s ‘very much focused on the political sphere and political influence.’  

 

Philip also drew attention to the fact that, as the cyberspace is continuously developing, the tools and attack methodologies used by cybercriminals are evolving too. He also noted that there’s been an increase in zero-day marketplaces on the dark web across the globe and, in turn, an increase in people buying zero-day exploits online. These tools are being exploited in new environments, especially ones that tie into the Metaverse. Crucially, Philip points out, ‘all of the old methodologies still work because a lot of the old vulnerabilities are there.’ 

 

The power of information and protecting information was also discussed on the podcast as a topic affecting nations presently. Philip made it clear that information is what is sought in nation state attacks – and that it can be weaponized! He also warned that social media can act as an echo chamber for disinformation: ‘That is known and exploited by nation states.’ 

 

The solution? People! Cybersecurity efforts need to appeal more to the culture side of cybersecurity companies. He suggests that the most difficult thing is convincing people to change their attitudes toward the culture of cybersecurity, viewing it as more than just a technical thing.  

 

‘In the physical environment you know when to close your curtains when you’re doing anything... That’s all-physical security and it’s intuitive because we can see it. But that doesn’t apply in the cyberspace... People would do stuff [online] that they’d never consider doing in their garden – and yet it’s exposed [online] and they don’t know who can exploit it and who can see it. People need to be aware of and take ownership of their digital visibility.’ 

 

Philip also discussed his latest role: current Content Lead for International Cyber Expo. He discussed how crucial events like these are to the community and how he went about planning talks for the Global Cyber Summit.  

‘It’s designed to get senior level people out of their offices,’ said Philip, given home working and the aftermath of the global pandemic, this could have been a difficult task - if the line-up wasn’t so good! This year’s line-up is full of interesting talks that are culturally relevant and critical to industry as a whole. There are talks on cybersecurity and diversity, government policy and policing the cybersecurity space, as well as the global talent pool.  

 

Where did the inspiration come from for the line-up? ‘From the national cyber centre looking out to national policies... and then drilling into the detail that’s out there from the regular type of attacks, nation state attacks’ – and so much more!  

 

Join us at the International Cyber Expo from 27th and 28th September 2022. Register now: https://ice-2022.reg.buzz/e1