On the 13th September 2024, iNetwork hosted the 4th Annual Northern WARP Conference! After three previous conferences delivered remotely this marked the first time the Northern WARP had the pleasure of presenting the event in a hybrid offering, with the opportunity for speakers, delegates and exhibitors to attend in person at the King’s House Conference Centre.
Alternatively, an online agenda was available for virtual attendees, where delegates still had access to a range of live seminar sessions and our opening keynote panel talk: Cyber Attack – Reflections from the Voices of Experience. The comprehensive agenda consisted of an opening and closing panel discussion with 11 sessions in between, including 1 keynote panel, 4 live lounges, and 6 seminar sessions.
The day started in the main auditorium with a warm, inspiring welcome from the Northern WARP leads: Shelley Heckman (NW WARP), Yunus Mayat (Yorkshire & Humber WARP), and Graham Jordan (ISNorthEast). This was followed by the excellent keynote panel talk: : Cyber Attack – Reflections from the Voices of Experience. Vicky Willet from St Helens Council and Detective Inspector Dan Giannasi from the North West Resilience Centre shared their invaluable experiences of dealing with cyber attacks and their aftermath. The day began on an exceptional note by highlighting the profound effects a cyber attack can have on both organisations and individuals. It emphasised the critical importance of cultivating a no-blame culture and ensuring effective communication.
The live lounges served as an opportunity to hear from key partners in the cyber security space. The sessions remained exclusive to in-person attendance and were not recorded to maintain the safe environment for open and honest discussion. The first session from Dave Sifleet and Sarah Slate from the LGA talked about their upcoming initiatives from the cyber, digital and technology teams, as well as the CAF process. It also drew out a conversation on how collaboration has improved in the cyber security sector and how this must be built on to improve the security of the public sector.
After the first part of the day, there were 6 seminar sessions which each consisted of a presentation and discussion around a variety of topics, including the direction of AI, supply chain assurance, the recovery from cyber attacks and many more. Speakers included members of St Helens Council, NLA WARP, and our exhibitors: Mobstr, Risk Ledger, Logpoint, and Fortinet.
Following the seminar sessions the delegates returned to the auditorium for the final live lounges. The first one was from Heather Toomey from the Information Commissioner’s Office to discuss their new Cyber Security team and where they fit in the existing ecosystem and what support they can offer. Again themes from the talk centred around the importance of collaboration with partners in the sector. Also discussed was the move away from a focus on sanctions to a more constructive role within cyber security and data protection.
The MHCLG live lounge with Phil James and Katie Owen discussed their upcoming Defend As One initiative. An approach which aims to harness the value of sharing cyber security data, expertise and capabilities across the sector. Finally NCSC gave some updates on the current threat landscape, both in the UK and globally.
Through all the live lounges there was consistent messaging around the changing landscape of the public sector in relation to cyber security. Collaboration and open communication is not always easy in a field which values discretion. However it continues to improve and develop as more relationships are built. It also showed how important events like the conference are in providing that safe space for difficult conversations.
Our exhibition room buzzed with a multitude of conversations among delegates, speakers, and exhibitors. The atmosphere was both positive and uplifting, as familiar faces reunited and new connections blossomed. Feedback from our members remains overwhelmingly enthusiastic, reflecting their confidence in the new relationships forged. They appreciated the valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge on work projects and discuss current organisational priorities.
If you were unable to attend the conference or would like to reflect on the sessions, the content is now available on our KnowledgeHub. We encourage you to revisit the platform to engage with the content!
Finally, a big thank you to those of you who joined us!