Securing the Cloud: driving adoption, organisational change and COVID-19 – powered by UKCloudX

Cloud technologies offer the scalability, resilience and functionality that can enable organisations to become more agile, dynamic, and better utilise other cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, 5G, Edge Computing and AR/VR. Steadily all sectors are seeing increases in adoption and 87% of organisations say they would move IT to the cloud if the perfect solution existed.

This panel will explore whether security remains a barrier that is slowing the adoption of cloud technologies amongst multiple sectors. To do this, we will explore two key themes. First, panellists will discuss the impacts of COVID-19 disruption, and how this has changed the way all organisations must work, with increased remote working likely to be a long-term trend. Has this enforced adoption of digital technologies improved trust in the cloud? Has the cyber security sector moved quickly and effectively enough to underpin this digital transformation for the long term? Has this changed the threat landscape or just changed the vulnerabilities, or both?

The panel will also explore how the sectors with perhaps the most heightened security concerns have renewed their approach to tackling these problems, looking particularly at the Defence & Security sectors which face specific challenges around data sovereignty and classification. There will also be more general discussion on the shared challenges all sectors face including the growing threat surface and skills shortfalls. Whilst they face these huge challenges, the potential benefits of adoption are vast too. Establishing an information superiority offering gives the UK an edge in terms of capability. Discussion will include how MOD has recently approached this problem, implementing key process changes and beginning to drive cultural change in how it approaches information and technology. Finally we’ll touch on how cloud technologies have the potential to unlock further innovation, providing a value proposition which far outstrips the initial investment in the cloud.

Panel

• Gerry Cantwell, Chief Technology Officer, UKCloudX

• Sue Daley, Associate Director, Technology & Innovation, techUK

• Robert Hannigan, Chairman, BlueVoyant

• Andrew Tsonchev, Director of Technology, Darktrace