RECENT events have shown the Jersey is “not immune” when it comes to cyber warfare – but “the battle is not lost”, according to a leader in information security.
David Carney, chair of the Channel Islands Information Security Forum, was among the speakers at the Channel Islands Cyber Security Conference last week, which brought more than 200 cyber specialists together on the Island to discuss emerging digital threats last week.
Also participating was Rob Shapland, a well-known ‘ethical hacker’ who has spent his life breaking into companies worldwide to help them secure their systems against cyber criminals.
Mr Carney noted that cyber attacks have been among the high-profile events dominating headlines “on a regular basis”.
“We have seen deepfakes being used to mimic politicians, supply chain disruption leading to empty supermarket shelves, and sophisticated frauds snaring Islanders through the use of readily available AI-driven tools.”
But Mr Carney added: “But the battle is not lost, and I firmly believe we remain stronger together – sharing what we have learnt, the patterns we are seeing, and emerging threats
means that we can be better prepared and collaboratively respond on a timely basis.”
He also noted Sir Graeme Lamb’s visit to the Island last year.
Sir Graeme, whose extensive military career includes time as the director of UK Special Forces and Commander of the British Field Army, told the JEP at the time that Jersey shouldn’t rule itself out as a target for a Russian state-backed cyber attack – partially due to its “attractive” position as a western financial hub.
Mr Carney said: “I remember him warning us that we’d never faced such elevated levels of risk, and advising us that ‘[if] at any time you think you’ve got this, you haven’t’.”
Podcast
From ransomware and AI to crisis response and the geopolitics of cyber warfare, Cyber Matters – a new multimedia series from the JEP and Connect Magazine in collaboration with Bailiwick Podcasts – is your essential guide to navigating our connected age.
The series brings together leading voices from across the Channel Islands – including Jonathan Benton (iSanctuary), Lynne Capie (Soteria), Dougie Grant (NCSC Advisory Group), Matt Palmer (Jersey Cyber Security Centre) and experts from BDO and C5 Alliance – to unpack the risks, opportunities and realities shaping how we live and work online.
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