Giles Grant, CEO, UK Cyber Security Council | 21 October 2026

Returning from Singapore International Cyber Week, there is a lot to reflect on. What struck me most was the consistency of the message from speakers across governments, industry and international institutions: we cannot approach tomorrow’s cyber challenges with yesterday’s thinking.

Agentic AI featured prominently, particularly the speed and scale at which it could change both the threat and defensive landscapes. But alongside the discussion of new technology were some reassuringly enduring principles.

Cyber security is never just a technology issue. Resilience requires a whole-of-society approach, with organisations and individuals prepared to rehearse for disruption rather than simply respond when it happens. Standards need accountability and effective implementation behind them, while trusted international collaboration remains essential: no country or organisation sees the whole threat landscape.

And, despite the technology changing, getting the cyber fundamentals right remains as important as ever.

Preparing for disruption

One question from Dr Richard Horne, CEO of the UK NCSC, particularly stayed with me:

“How will we continue to operate without any IT?”

It is a deceptively simple question, but one that goes straight to the heart of resilience. It challenges us to think beyond preventing incidents and consider how we would continue to function when the systems we depend upon are unavailable.

Another powerful point was that no one “owns” cyberspace. Security cannot therefore be passive. It requires us to contest the space continuously, challenging threats rather than simply reacting to them. The analogy was a basketball “full-court press”: contest every part of the court, not just the area immediately in front of you.

The importance of professionalism

For the UK Cyber Security Council, there is an equally important people dimension.

During the week, I took part in the workforce development panel, “Supercharging the Cyber Workforce: AI, Skills, and Accreditation”, sharing insights from the UK’s professionalisation journey and discussing how professional standards and accreditation can strengthen workforce capability, employer confidence and career progression.

As technology develops and the threat environment becomes more complex, the need for trusted, competent and accountable cyber professionals, working to recognised professional standards, only becomes greater.

These professionals are central to putting the principles discussed during the week into practice, from getting the fundamentals right to preparing for disruption and working across organisational and national boundaries.

Partnerships and shared conversations

My thanks go to everyone at the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore for an excellent event and for hosting our panel, particularly Steven Wong, Kok Wee Ong, Choon Bong Wong, Ning Wang, Boon Hui Yeo, Nathaniel Hoe and Ashley Yap.

It was a pleasure to join Dr Lim Woo Lip, Felicity Powell, Scott Beale, Nick Benson and Debi McCormack on the panel, with Grace Boyling supporting us off-stage, and to meet Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State. I am also particularly grateful to Nik Mehta OBE, British High Commissioner to Singapore, and his team for their exceptional hospitality and for making so many introductions and conversations possible during the week.

It was a terrific week, full of challenging ideas and a strong reminder that cyber resilience ultimately depends as much upon people, professionalism and partnerships as it does upon technology.