Speakers

Alex Harris, Head of Future Cyber Capability, Cabinet Office

Alex is Head of Future Cyber Capabilities at Cabinet Office where he is leading the design of a new operating model for government-wide cyber security that will better meet the threats government and the public sector faces. Prior to this, he has worked in numerous public sector facing cyber roles including at PwC as a Government Cyber Senior Manager, in the Dept... of Health and NHS England Joint Cyber Unit as Head of NHS and Social Care Cyber Risk, as well as in Department for Education and Government Legal Department.more

John Keegan Deputy Director, Head of Digital Security, Department Work and Pensions (DWP)

John Keegan is the Deputy Director, Head of Digital Security at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), where he is transforming how the department protects Digital services from Cyber threats. John joined the Department as (Head of Infrastructure Services) in June 2016, establishing a team to right-source and deliver Network, Tooling and Hybrid Cloud. John then... moved to take on the role as Head of Production Engineering, establishing an SRE function (Site Reliability Engineer), before merging this function into HCS (Hybrid Cloud Services). John then led a programme to bring in-house hosting and desktop services from managed service providers. Since 2021 John has led a programme to improve cyber security controls based on the NIST-CSF (Cyber Security Framework). John currently leads this programme (Adaptive Security Programme) as well as leading the Digital Security function. Prior to joining the Department for Work and Pensions, John held various leadership roles within Fujitsu and British Telecom. more

A representative from NCSC

Launched in October 2016, the NCSC has headquarters in London and brought together expertise from CESG (the information assurance arm of GCHQ), the Centre for Cyber Assessment, CERT-UK, and the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure (which became the National Protective Security Authority, NPSA, in March 2023). The NCSC provides a single point of contact... for SMEs, larger organisations, government agencies, the general public and departments. We also work collaboratively with other law enforcement, defence, the UK’s intelligence and security agencies and international partners.more

Matthew Holland, Incident Response Team Lead, Royal Navy

I am a cybersecurity professional currently serving in the military (Royal Navy) with over five years of hands-on experience in Security Operations Centre (SOC) settings, with my current role being an Incident Response Team Lead for the UK Ministry of Defence. Since joining the cybersecurity field in January 2020, I progressed from a Tier 1 SOC Analyst to leading... incident response operations for one of the most extensive defense infrastructures, currently monitoring over 300,000 endpoints across military networks. My technical expertise spans incident detection and management, threat hunting, digital forensics, and continuous monitoring. I am also experienced in leveraging frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK and collaborating with industry partners and service providers to deliver timely, accurate responses to security incidents.

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Gerard Thompson, Chief Information Security Officer, North Tyneside Council

Gerard Thompson is an experienced cybersecurity professional with over a decade of experience in information security, risk management, and digital infrastructure protection. Currently serving as CISO at North Tyneside Council, Gerard specialises in identifying vulnerabilities, implementing proactive security measures, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Gerard’s... background includes experience in both public and private sectors, where he has led efforts to strengthen cyber defences and respond to emerging threats. His commitment to staying current with evolving technologies and security trends makes him a trusted expert in his field. Gerard is passionate about safeguarding data and enhancing digital resilience across organisations.
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Dr Emma Philpott, Director and CEO, IASME

Dr Emma Philpott is director and CEO of IASME and joined the organisation in 2013. A material scientist by training, Emma spent time working in the Ministry of Defence and QinetiQ followed by 5 years working in Singapore. When Emma moved to Malvern in 2009, she found that there were lots of small cybersecurity companies that faced barriers to growth. Emma set up the... Malvern Cyber Security Cluster to support and represent these small companies. One of the start-ups that Emma met through this work was IASME. The founders approached Emma for some business planning advice and she became increasingly involved in the plan to develop a route to cyber security certification for small companies.  In addition to this, Emma has been involved in training and supporting neurodiverse individuals in cyber security as well as the wider diversity aspect of the Cyber Security industry. In 2019, Emma was recognised for her services to cyber security with a MBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours list. more

Peter Batchelor, Regional Director UK&I, Silverfort

For the last 25 years, Peter Batchelor has collaborated closely with organisations, offering invaluable expertise in tackling their cybersecurity, identity, and compliance hurdles. Understanding the unique challenges that an organisation grapples with, including budget constraints, resource limitations, and the complexity of safeguarding legacy systems, Peter brings... a blend of empathy and strategic insight to his work. His proficiency spans the entire project lifecycle, from initial design to seamless deployment, ensuring successful outcomes for their business.more

Elliott Morgan, Cyber Lead for the NHS and Regional Services, Trustmarque (on behalf of Silverfort)

Elliott Morgan is an experienced cybersecurity solutions specialist and a trusted advisor at Trustmarque, with over five years of working across the NHS, local government services and central government departments. Based in Barnsley, England, Elliott has played a pivotal role in guiding organisations through the complex landscape of digital security. Starting his... journey as a Cyber Security Sales Specialist in 2020, he quickly made his mark by providing effective solutions across various sectors. His expertise expanded further as he became a Healthcare Cyber Security Sales Specialist, where he focused on addressing the unique security challenges within the healthcare sector. Now, as a Cyber Lead for the NHS and Regional Services, Elliott leverages his extensive knowledge of the industry market to help organisations safeguard their digital environments against evolving threats. His career is marked by a deep understanding of client needs and a commitment to delivering innovative, tailored security strategies. Elliott's insights and expertise make him a valuable speaker on the latest trends and solutions in the world of cybersecurity.more