We were proud to welcome hundreds of cyber security professionals to CIISec LIVE 2025 under the fitting theme of “Stronger Together: Reinforcing Trust Through Collaboration.” The atmosphere was electric as delegates from government, critical infrastructure, finance, academia and beyond converged to exchange insights, share challenges and forge new partnerships. It was a powerful reminder that strengthening the resilience of our profession depends on collaboration.
The day opened with BBC cyber correspondent Joe Tidy, sharing insights from his new book CTRL+ALT+CHAOS, an in-depth account of the rise of teenage hacking.
Following, Miriam Howe, Head of International Consulting at BAE Systems delivered a keynote which examined how trust, collaboration and resilience are at the heart of who leads and who follows in an increasingly interconnected world. Miriam unpicked the notion that cyber security is now a key component of soft power as domains expand beneath the sea and into space.
One of the day’s most engaging discussions came from our cross-sector panel featuring representatives from Capita, NHS England, the Cyber Defence Alliance, Computacenter and the City of London police. The panel examined how specialists across sectors can share intelligence and build better collective defences. The talk highlighted how a threat to one sector can quickly become a threat to all, making transparency and a willingness to share insight all the more critical.
Delegates were exposed to something a bit different in the form of a fireside chat with Sue Williams, QPM, Independent Crisis Response & Hostage Negotiator. Sue spoke insightfully on how the digital world has influenced the approach of hostage negotiation, and how professionals can stay calm in a crisis.
The afternoon closed with a series of interactive workshops, where panel sessions blended with audience participation on topics including the convergence of IT and OT, human behaviour, the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, and supply chain security.
Across the sessions, one theme kept resurfacing: people remain the profession’s greatest asset. CIISec LIVE remains one of the few cyber security events that is shaped by professionals, for professionals. The conversations are focused on strengthening expertise and building trust across the profession, without the added pressure of sales or promotion. Our sponsors support this approach and help maintain the integrity of that environment.
Bringing specialists together in this way gives our industry a level of shared understanding that is difficult to achieve in isolation. When knowledge moves freely between organisations and sectors, our collective resilience grows stronger, and collaboration becomes part of everyday practice.
This year’s event demonstrated the value of that connection. CIISec is a member-led, member-run organisation, and the progress made throughout the day came from professionals learning directly from one another while sharing experiences openly.
However, CIISec LIVE 2025 does not end with the event itself. We will be publishing additional content and insights from this year’s sessions in the weeks ahead. Planning for CIISec LIVE 2026 will then begin as we continue to move the conversation forward. We look forward to seeing you there.