Lord Toby Harris joins Cyber Safety Force initiative

Lord Toby Harris has joined the Cyber Safety Force, an initiative advocating for robust collaboration between governments and businesses to defend against cyber attacks.

The Cyber Safety Force, supported by cybersecurity experts such as Guy Golan, CEO and Executive Chairman of Performanta, Simon Hodgkinson, former CISO of BP, and Greg Sim, Founder of 2020 Partners, recently announced that Lord Toby Harris, also known as Lord Harris of Haringey, is its latest member.

Lord Toby Harris is assuming his position within the Cyber Safety Force to foster a collective understanding and response to cybersecurity threats through increased cooperation between public and private sectors. He emphasised the importance of moving beyond mere compliance to achieve comprehensive cyber safety.

"The compliance model is a dangerous one for many organisations, breeding the very real threat of complacency. Too many organisations tick all the boxes, comply with all the recommendations, and pay a cybersecurity firm to install various bits of software on their system, feeling confident that they have 'done' cybersecurity," Lord Toby Harris said.

He further elaborated on the vulnerabilities posed by a growing reliance on digital services: "Combined with society increasingly living through digital means and we've created a huge vulnerability in our national security. Unless the entire system is secure, the safety of the whole of society is put into jeopardy. That's why going beyond cybersecurity to cyber safety is so vital and why I've decided to become a member of the Cyber Safety Force initiative."

The Cyber Safety Force's aim is to drive global action through a coalition of industry leaders committed to the cause of cyber safety. This initiative provides its members with a plethora of resources, including in-depth video content, expert panel discussions, guides, blogs, and Q&As, as well as access to an exclusive LinkedIn group for professional collaboration.

The organisation is actively seeking to lobby the government, inspire businesses to surpass compliance standards, and raise awareness regarding the increasing cyber threats. Guy Golan commented on the initiative's objectives: "We created the Cyber Safety Force to drive action and collaboration much faster than we're currently seeing in the market. For too long, organisations and governmental bodies have sat in siloes while cyber criminals extort and exploit both pillars of our national infrastructure. Without communication and collaboration, they remain paralysed, unable to catch up to the advancements of cyber threats. Through the Cyber Safety Force, we want to bridge that gap while inspiring organisational leaders to push for true cyber safety."

Golan also remarked on the significance of Lord Harris joining the team, noting the potential to further unify public and private efforts in combating cyber threats. "Having Lord Toby Harris on board will help us to connect public and private organisations even further, and we look forward to what we will be able to achieve together in this partnership," he stated.