Threat Plenary - Looking Back, Looking Forwards: In Conversation with Chich
Paul Chichester CMG, Geoff White
CYBERUK 2026 · Day 1 · Main Plenary
This plenary session at CYBERUK offered a compelling dialogue between Paul Chichester CMG, Director of Operations for the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), and investigative journalist Geoff White. The conversation served as a critical retrospective on the evolution of cyber threats and defensive strategies over the past decade, while also casting an eye towards future challenges, particularly those posed by artificial intelligence. The discussion covered a broad spectrum of topics, from the changing nature of data breaches and the role of attribution in international cyber policy to the complexities of inter-agency coordination within the UK and the persistent menace of ransomware.
AI review
A competent strategic/intel briefing lane session featuring Paul Chichester — a speaker who genuinely has the seat and the access — but one that largely stays in safe, well-trodden territory. The insider signal is real but measured: attribution methodology, inter-agency coordination mechanics, and ransomware policy posture are discussed with more candor than a press release, but rarely with the specificity that would make a seasoned practitioner lean forward. What's here is credible and professionally delivered; what's missing is the kind of 'I can't believe he just said that on stage'…