Government reinforces its message that there’s no excuse for failing to address cyber risk
CYBERUK has kicked off in Glasgow today with opening keynote speeches from Richard Horne, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre and Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Minster for Security.
CYBERUK has kicked off in Glasgow today with opening keynote speeches from Richard Horne, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre and Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Minster for Security.
Richard Horne’s speech
Richard Horne’s speech focused on the importance of vigilance as the UK navigates what he described as a ‘perfect storm’ driven by technological transformation over the coming decade.
Richard highlighted five key areas:
- The unknowns around the AI-powered world. He referenced the newly published international standard for AI security as a global benchmark for adoption.
- Guidance from the NCSC to support businesses in migrating to post-quantum cryptography, which should be considered a critical first step in preparing for future threats.
- Rising geopolitical tensions, which are creating increasing challenges for both businesses and governments, with operations now taking place in what Head of MI6, Blaise Metreweli described as a ‘space between peace and war’.
- The continued significance of the threat landscape, with four nationally significant incidents occurring each week. While ransomware from criminal groups remains prevalent, incidents involving nation-state actors are increasing.
- The role of the cyberspace as an integral domain in modern conflict. Defending against large-scale hacktivist activity requires organisations to embed cyber security into their operational resilience frameworks.
Richard closed with an appeal for businesses to be part of the cultural shift that’s needed from a community perspective but also crucially at a Board level.
Minister Jarvis’ speech and government announcements
Minister Jarvis’ speech echoed a number of these challenges and outlined the role of government in responding to cyber threats: to establish standards, share intelligence and provide support and guidance. He emphasised that businesses must, at a minimum, implement basic cyber security measures. The Minister also referenced the open letter sent last week, co-signed with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, urging business leaders to take AI-driven cyber threats seriously.
To support this, Jarvis made a series of announcements.
Cyber Resilience Pledge
The Cyber Resilience Pledge will recognise businesses that have taken the steps to demonstrate a clear commitment to cyber security to their investors, customers and supply chain by:
- Making cyber security a board-level responsibility by implementing the Cyber Governance Code of Practice and ensuring board members complete NCSC Cyber Governance Training.
- Signing up to the NCSC's Early Warning service within one month of signing the pledge.
- Requiring government-backed Cyber Essentials certification across supply chains.
Companies that sign-up to the Pledge will be listed publicly and highlighted as best practice exemplars.
£90 million to strengthen cyber resilience
Government will invest £90million to strengthen cyber resilience with targeted support for small to medium-sized businesses.
Call for partnership with frontier AI companies
Minister Jarvis confirmed that government will respond to the evolving threat landscape by developing AI-powered cyber defence capabilities on a national scale. He called on frontier AI companies to work directly with government to co-develop capabilities for national cyber defence.
Further detail on the government’s formal agenda in this area is expected in due course.
National Cyber Action Plan expected this summer.
Although initially expected during CYBERUK, Minister Jarvis confirmed that the National Cyber Action Plan will now be published this summer. The Plan will outline the government’s vision for action across both the public and private sectors, focusing on three core pillars: the evolving threat landscape, strengthening resilience and driving economic growth.
You can read Dan Jarvis’ speech in full here and Richard Horne’s speech in full here.
Annie Collings
Senior Programme Manager, Cyber Resilience, techUK
Annie is the Programme Manager for Cyber Resilience at techUK. She first joined as the Programme Manager for Cyber Security and Central Government in September 2023.
In her role, Annie supports the Cyber Security SME Forum, engaging regularly with key government and industry stakeholders to advance the growth and development of SMEs in the cyber sector. Annie also coordinates events, engages with policy makers and represents techUK at a number of cyber security events.
Before joining techUK, Annie was an Account Manager at a specialist healthcare agency, where she provided public affairs support to a wide range of medical technology clients. She also gained experience as an intern in both an MP’s constituency office and with the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed. Annie holds a degree in International Relations from Nottingham Trent University.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Twitter:
- anniecollings24
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-collings-270150158/
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Meet the team
Jill Broom
Head of Cyber Resilience, techUK
Jill leads the techUK Cyber Resilience programme, having originally joined techUK in October 2020 as a Programme Manager for the Cyber and Central Government programmes. She is responsible for managing techUK's work across the cyber security ecosystem, bringing industry together with key stakeholders across the public and private sectors. Jill also provides the industry secretariat for the Cyber Growth Partnership, the industry and government conduit for supporting the growth of the sector. A key focus of her work is to strengthen the public–private partnership across cyber to support further development of UK cyber security and resilience policy.
Before joining techUK, Jill worked as a Senior Caseworker for an MP, advocating for local communities, businesses and individuals, so she is particularly committed to techUK’s vision of harnessing the power of technology to improve people’s lives. Jill is also an experienced editorial professional and has delivered copyediting and writing services for public-body and SME clients as well as publishers.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Website:
- www.techuk.org/
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-broom-19aa824
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Annie Collings
Senior Programme Manager, Cyber Resilience, techUK
Annie is the Programme Manager for Cyber Resilience at techUK. She first joined as the Programme Manager for Cyber Security and Central Government in September 2023.
In her role, Annie supports the Cyber Security SME Forum, engaging regularly with key government and industry stakeholders to advance the growth and development of SMEs in the cyber sector. Annie also coordinates events, engages with policy makers and represents techUK at a number of cyber security events.
Before joining techUK, Annie was an Account Manager at a specialist healthcare agency, where she provided public affairs support to a wide range of medical technology clients. She also gained experience as an intern in both an MP’s constituency office and with the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed. Annie holds a degree in International Relations from Nottingham Trent University.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Twitter:
- anniecollings24
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-collings-270150158/
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Olivia Staples
Junior Programme Manager - Cyber Resilience, techUK
Olivia Staples joined techUK in May 2025 as a Junior Programme Manager in the Cyber Resilience team.
She supports the programs mission to promote cyber resilience by engaging key commercial and government stakeholders to shape the cyber resilience policy towards increased security and industry growth. Olivia assists in member engagement, event facilitation and communications support.
Before joining techUK, Olivia gained experience in research, advocacy, and strategic communications across several international organisations. At the Munich Security Conference, she supported stakeholder engagement and contributed to strategic communications. She also worked closely with local and national government stakeholders in Spain and Italy, where she was involved in policy monitoring and advocacy for both public and private sector clients.
Olivia holds an MSc in Political Science (Comparative Politics and Conflict Studies) from the London School of Economics (LSE) and a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from University College London (UCL).
Outside of tech, Olivia enjoys volunteering with local charities and learning Norwegian.
- Email:
- [email protected]
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