On Thursday, April 21, the Strauss Center is pleased to welcome Ciaran Martin, visiting professor from the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, for a discussion on lessons learned during his six and a half years at the highest levels of British cybersecurity, where he led the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre. The event will be moderated by Professor Bobby Chesney, director of the Strauss Center for International Security and Law.
In this talk, Martin will draw upon his experience at the top echelon of British cybersecurity, advising three Prime Ministers and building up the United Kingdom's defenses in this essential policy area while most of the political system was engulfed in Brexit. Martin will share his key takeaways from responding to over 7,000 serious cyber incidents, what he learned from collaborating with government and external partners, how political systems react to cybersecurity challenges, the importance of non-technical fields including law and economics when dealing with cybersecurity issues, and most importantly: what used to keep him awake at night.
Biography
Ciaran Martin is currently professor of practice in the management of public organizations within Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government. Prior to joining the school, he was the founding chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, part of the British intelligence agency GCHQ. During his time with the NCSC, Martin led a fundamental shift in the UK's approach to cybersecurity, advocating for a wholesale change of approach toward a more interventionist posture. This initiative was integrated into the 2015 National Security Strategy, and led to the creation of the NCSC.
The NCSC's approach has been lauded for responding quickly to incidents and giving the British public clear and prompt advice on responding to cybersecurity threats, putting previously classified information in the hands of industry so that companies can defend themselves more effectively, major improvements in automatic cybersecurity like countering brand spoofing and rapidly taking down malicious sites, and projecting UK cybersecurity leadership around the world.
In his role at the NCSC, Martin worked closely with his United States counterparts, including Chris Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, and Anne Neuberger and Chris Inglis, who are now the president's top advisers on cybersecurity.