How can the UK protect its Critical National Infrastructure from cyberattacks?

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges and strategies for protecting the UK's critical national infrastructure from evolving cyber threats.

Cyberattacks on the UK’s critical national infrastructure are becoming faster and more sophisticated.   What will it take to protect the systems and services that keep the country running?   Host Zoë Grünewald is joined by Matt Western MP, Chair of the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, and Chris Parker, Director of Government Strategy at Fortinet UK.   Our panel discusses how ransomware, hostile state actors and AI-enabled attacks are changing the threat landscape facing the UK’s critical national infrastructure, as well as where regulation and governance may need to go further.   They talk about the risks posed by legacy systems and cyber skills shortages, what effective resilience looks like in practice, and why closer cooperation between government and industry matters.   This New Statesman podcast episode is sponsored by Fortinet.   LINKS   Fortinet 2026 Global Threat Landscape Report   Fortinet 2026 Cybersecurity Skills Gap Global Research Report   Fortinet 2026 OT Report   Government Cyber Action Plan   UK Cyber Growth Action Plan LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW…

People in this episode

Host: Zoë Grünewald

Guests: Matt Western MP, Chris Parker

Topics covered

• cybersecurity
• critical national infrastructure
• cyberattacks
• government and industry cooperation
• regulation and governance
• resilience
• cyber skills shortages

Keywords

• cyberattacks
• infrastructure protection
• ransomware
• AI-enabled attacks
• cyber skills
• government strategy
• Fortinet

Sponsors

Fortinet

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fortinet UK, Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, UK Cyber Growth Action Plan, Government Cyber Action Plan, Fortinet 2026 Global Threat Landscape Report, Fortinet 2026 Cybersecurity Skills Gap Global Research Report, Fortinet 2026 OT Report

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