On Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd of December 2022, Modern Networks participated in the UKSPA (UK Science Park Association) Winter Conference, held at Bruntwood SciTech No. 1 Circle Square, Manchester. Modern Networks has actively supported the last three UKSPA events, building on the affiliation started by our sister company Bridge Fibre.
Over the two days, the UKSPA conference discussed the many challenges, opportunities and innovations currently taking place within the sector. Topics discussed at the event included the global energy crisis, sustainability, collaboration and innovation within the sector, regional development, and cyber resilience. Additionally, delegates could take a tour of the Science and Engineering Campus, Fuel Cell Innovation Centre, and School of Digital Arts at No. 1 Circle Square. On Thursday evening, Modern Networks sponsored a drinks and informal networking dinner at The Refuge, part of the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel. Modern Networks also had a stand in the atrium exhibition area where delegates could meet our team including James Tizzard, Managing Director, David Cansick, Business Enablement Manager, John Ingram-Marriott, Business Development Manager and Jon Stevenson, Internal Account Manager.
On Friday 2nd December, Modern Networks Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Geraint Williams discussed the growing importance of cyber resilience to the science park sector and its tenant community. Geraint started his presentation by explaining some of the basic principles of cyber security such as the CIA triad of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, which together are the three most important concepts within information security. Next, he explained the lifecycle of a cyber-attack and some of the long-lasting consequences such an event can have on an organisation. Then, Geraint talked about the importance of cyber resilience in enabling an organisation to fight through a cyber-attack and continue to operate. He clarified the difference between cyber security and cyber resilience, and why organisations need both.
Cyber security aims to minimise the risks of a successful attack. However, inevitably, some attacks will succeed. A cyber resilience strategy keeps the impact of a successful attack to a minimum, so an organisation can continue to operate during an incident and quickly recover thereafter. In a 2021 report by Accenture, a global professional services company, they found that organisations saw between a 48 percent and 71 percent decrease in costs after introducing cyber resilience strategies. Today, strengthening cyber resilience is more important than ever for science parks and their tenants, who might be targets of hostile nation states, activists, organised crime, and industrial espionage.1
To learn more about how Modern Networks can help improve your cyber resilience or our range of IT and telecoms managed services, contact us now.
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