The countdown to the 06th Annual Northern WARP Conference 2026 is officially on. As we prepare to gather at the Kings House Conference Centre in Manchester and across our online platform, we are thrilled to pull back the curtain on the heart of this year’s event.
Our theme this year, “Protecting Public Data: The Human Factor,” shifts the spotlight away from just the “bits and bytes” and onto the people who manage, protect and occasionally fall victim to the digit landscape.
This year alongside seminars, interactive sessions and the exhibition hall, we will also be hosting four main keynote panels that are designed to tackle the psychological, cultural and leadership challenges of modern cyber security.
Keynote Panel 1: When Cyber Gets Personal: Cyber Security Through Real Lived Experience
Kicking it off how we always do, a panel looking at lived experience of a cyber-attack or data breach. We explore how these events impact us on an emotional, psychological and physical level. We use this to understand how best to support colleagues and your organisation to deal with these situations, on a human level. We will be joined by speakers, Keith Gatt (Gov Architects), Heather Toomey (ICO) and Aspire (our headline sponsor)
Keynote Panel 2: Leadership at the Frontline: Shaping Cyber and Data Resilience
This one is looking at how senior leadership should operate to create a cyber resilient organisation that manages information securely. How do they manage risk and accountability? What does good governance look like around this? We will be joined by speakers, Ste Sharples (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority), Penny Jackson (Sophos) and Dave Sifleet (LGA)
Keynote Panel 3: Making Security Stick: How to Turn Culture Change into Reality
This session will look at how to effectively work with an organisation’s employees to create genuine awareness of cyber threats and the correct behaviours to protect against it. Including how to make training appropriate and salient. We will be joined by speakers, Sarah Janes (Layer 8), Abi Dakin (), Haroon Malik () and Daniel Dresner (The University of Manchester)
Keynote Panel 4: Know Your Enemy: Understanding Threat Actor Mindsets to Strengthen Resilience
This will cover the mind state of threat actors and a glimpse into their way of thinking and working. This can then help us think about how we must change and adapt to meet their changing profile. We will be joined by speakers, NCSC, Dan Giannasi (North West Cyber Resilience Centre), Dr Jason Nurse (University of Kent)
The conference is designed as a hybrid forum, ensuring that the critical insights shared are accessible regardless of geography. Attendees can join in-person at the Kings House Conference Centre, Manchester, for the full experience. This includes access to our exhibition tables, interactive exercises, the chance to network with peers and it is important to note that NCSC-specific sessions will be exclusive to those in the room in Manchester.
There is also an opportunity to join us online, if you can’t make the trip, you don’t have to miss out. Our Northern WARP Conference platform will be streaming the sessions live, allowing you to engage with the content and the community from your desk.
The conference remains a vital resource for the public sector, with tickets provided free of charge to any professional working within a WARP member organisation. For non-member public sector employees, paid tickets remain available.
We look forward to seeing you on Friday 03rd July, click here to view the agenda and register for a ticket.