ISWeek, last week’s four-day online event, taking in International Security Expo (ISE), International Cyber Expo (ICE) and International Disaster Response Expo (IDR), replaced the usual physical event at London Olympia, pictured. Among the speakers was, on day one sponsored by HS Security, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Lucy D’Orsi, who voiced her support for ‘transformational’ Protect Duty legislation. While not directly addressing the Manchester Arena suicide terror enquiry, she said: “It would be as impactive to protective security as GDPR has been for the handling of data.”
Ex-jihadi and former MI6 spy Aimen Dean, also warned that “we need to be worried about the wave of terror that is coming from northern Syria and Libya for Christmas this year. This promise of no lockdown at Christmas has made it a more attractive timeframe for targeting. Already they have been thinking about it, already they have been looking at it and I feel this will be the next target.”
Day two looked at cyber, sponsored by Tripwire, and the connection with the physical security world with the ‘People Hacker’ Jenny Radcliffe. She said: “People don’t think they are rich enough or important enough to be targets…but everyone is a piece of a jigsaw for organisations, everyone has something of value” for hackers.
Dr Henry Pearson, UK Cyber Security Ambassador at the Department for International Trade (DIT), UKDSE told a panel that “countries are experiencing similar sort of threats but the way they deal with them is very different. The UK government is taking a lead in getting in the way of common cyber attacks through the NCSC.”
Sponsored by Apstec Sytems, day three covered ‘Protecting CNI and Crowded Places’. Commissioner of the City of London Police Ian Dyson added that Brexit would make extraditing criminals harder for the UK, saying that “traditional judicial extradition processes…are more expensive and more time consuming, but they are still achievable.”
And day four day, sponsored by BlackBerry, centred on International Disaster Response. Tracy Daszkiewicz, Deputy Director Population Health and Wellbeing – Public Health England South West talked about the lessons learned after the Novichok poisonings in 2018 in Salisbury. She said of disaster response: “you have to cater for different audiences and work with other organisations to make sure every voice is heard.” Chair of the Emergency Planning Society, Jacqui Semple said that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not appropriate but that “being flexible and adaptable has been working very well.”
Event Director Rachael Shattock said: “This year, in the absence of the ability to meet up physically, there has been a real need for the industry to come together to share lessons learned from the COVID crisis. ISWeek has provided a platform for security professionals do just that, with brilliant discussions and a huge number of insightful questions and interactions from across the world at our virtual event. We are delighted to help shape the future of industry – helping people connect and do business.
“We’d like thank each of our speakers for offering up their expertise. We’re now looking ahead to our physical International Security Expo on 28-29 September 2021 – I urge anyone in the industry to sign up to attend for exclusive content which explores the ever-changing legislative landscape, best practice and an opportunity to meet face-to-face with industry partners and friends!”
You can register freely for ISWeek 2020 to watch all session on demand: https://www.internationalsecurityexpo.com/.
