“How can we ensure cyber resilience in an increasingly connected world?”
That was the challenge posed to participants on the Common Purpose MOIC. The challenge, set in partnership with London First, asked MOIC participants to explore how the connectivity of the internet can make people and organisations vulnerable – and in doing so produce ideas that could be developed for practical use.
Over ten weeks, participants used the online platform to collaborate on ideas. Submissions came from across the world including Barbados, Canada, India, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago, UAE and the UK.
Expert guidance was offered through group sessions throughout the challenge from Curtis Baron at KPMG, Robert Hall at London First and Charles Ewen from the Met Office. This helped participants explore the challenge question by understanding some of the biggest frustrations faced by organisations and individuals.
The participants were recognised at the London First Global Resilience Summit on 15 October where their ideas were unveiled.
Robert Hall, Director of the London First Security and Resilience Network, said: “In an era of unparalleled technological change, the cyber environment is driving social development and fuelling economic growth. This presents a fantastic set of opportunities but it also brings challenges, particularly around security and resilience.
“This cyber challenge has provided real insight that organisations can use today to help protect themselves. Just as importantly, it has shown there is a wealth of ideas from the next generation to tackle these problems and that the future of resilience and cyber security is in excellent hands.”
The final ideas:
Anodentity
Tanyisha Edwards, a leadership and management graduate based in Trinidad & Tobago, suggested introducing a digital anonymous identity which allows you to choose which of your online accounts are linked. This identity would be tracked similar to bank accounts and customers would be alerted when unusual activity occurs. The Anodentity would be used in place of real details.
Practise Resilience, Measure Resilience
Marcilla Silva Pena, an engineering student from Brazil, proposed a process to measure and improve staff knowledge of cyber risk and threats. This involves surveying staff on cyber risks and responding with tailored training sessions.
Learning Teams
Shanice Seale, a law student from Barbados, put forward creating learning teams of junior and senior associates. This would involve a weekly learning session where team members tackle virtual scenarios such as data breaches and system attacks, followed by a competency test to measure staff development.
Importance of Anonymity
Fulbright scholar Sofia Magdalena Olofsson holds a Master’s degree in Security Studies. Her idea involved a three-pronged approach to boost cyber resilience: first, putting an onus on companies to make it clearer to customers how digital information is protected; secondly, a premium protection plan for digital accounts provided at a cost, and thirdly a time limit on online data storage with a safety verification logo developed with the iRights campaign for company websites.
