14/06/2025
What. A. Day.
The CIO & CISO UK Summit at The Clermont Charing Cross wrapped up, and the energy in the room? Electric.
This wasnโt just another day of talks; it was an honest, sharp exchange of ideas on whatโs working, whatโs not, and where we must evolve.
From cyber resilience to AI ethics, data lakes to boardroom influence, we explored the full spectrum of digital leadership.
๐ก AI was everywhere, not just as a buzzword. From threat detection to code generation, itโs already changing how we work. But human oversight is still essential. As Laure Isabelle Lydon (MSc) put it: โAI can write the code, but whoโs checking if itโs the right code?โ
โ ๏ธ Agentic AI raised new red flags, access depth, control bypass, and insider threat potential.
๐ง In a brilliant fireside chat, Dinis Cruz and Darren Kingsnorth discussed the fast-evolving threat landscape, with Darren capturing the urgency:
โWe are in the world of Now.โ
๐ง Yet the basics still matter. As Marcin Roth reminded us:
โItโs easy to get budget for AI, but the gremlins live in the basics.โ
Resilience still starts with patching, access controls, and well-trained people.
๐ก๏ธ On data protection, Kathryn Brooks and Daniel Selman highlighted the importance of respecting the right to be forgotten and adapting to evolving regulation like the EU AI Act.
๐ Culture was a standout theme. Rhiannon Lawson challenged us to break systemic barriers and build truly inclusive cyber teams. Transparent career paths, allyship, and leadership accountability all matter.
โ๏ธ In the cloud and data lake space, Srimanth reminded us: architecture is more than infrastructure, it's about enabling secure, real-time insights.
โDonโt let your data lake become a data landfill.โ
๐ค Dr Zibby K, FCIIS delivered clear advice on MSSPs: trust, alignment, and shared mission are non-negotiables.
๐ข In the boardroom, Andy Piper urged CISOs to speak in business terms, use real-world examples, and show how security enables outcomes.
Leonard K added: turn past incidents into bite-sized, actionable lessons that embed into delivery without slowing momentum.
๐ And Jay (Jalal) Moloo nailed it:
โResilience isnโt optional. The threat landscape doesnโt care about your roadmap.โ
๐ค Huge thanks to Steve Benton, our moderator, who brought sharp questions and energy throughout the day. Leaving us with a home-hitting analogy: โRunning up a beach with a tiger behind you, are you in front, in the pack, or about to get caught?โ Thatโs cyber maturity right now.
๐ One recurring theme: Security must be embedded, not bolted on, summarised by Sebastien Geroult. That means ExCo visibility, culture change, cyber literacy, and security baked into business, not added later.
Thanks to everyone who joined, shared, challenged, and inspired. For those who couldnโt make it, we hope to see you at the next one.
Letโs keep the conversation going.