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New Atlanticist

Mar 24, 2020

The 5×5—Minding the cyber talent gap

By Simon Handler

Defending against threats in cyberspace is hard enough, but severe cybersecurity talent deficiencies have consistently made the challenge harder for both public and private sector organizations. Our Cyber Statecraft Initiative experts go 5×5 to dig into the people problem of cybersecurity, its implications, and possible solutions.

Cybersecurity

Press Release

Dec 11, 2019

Atlantic Council releases new report: Aviation cybersecurity: Scoping the challenge

By Atlantic Council

Report marks the first-ever global stakeholder survey on addressing cybersecurity issues in aviation sector WASHINGTON, DC – December 11, 2019 – Today, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative, within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, launched a new report titled “Aviation Cybersecurity: Scoping the Challenge” and the results of the first-ever global survey on […]

Cybersecurity

Report

Dec 11, 2019

Aviation cybersecurity: Scoping the challenge

By Pete Cooper, Simon Handler, Safa Shahwan Edwards

The digital attack surface the aviation sector presents to its adversaries continues to grow in such a way that both managing risk and gaining insight on it remain difficult. With emerging technologies like machine learning and fifth-generation (5G) telecommunications seeing wider adoption—alongside electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), autonomous aircraft, and increased use of space—aviation-cybersecurity risk management is on the cusp of becoming more complex.

Cybersecurity Infrastructure Protection

Pete Cooper is the Deputy Director of Cyber Defence in the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative. The first part of his twenty-four-year career in the UK Royal Air Force (RAF), was as a fast jet pilot and instructor on the Tornado GR4. He then became an early member of the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) Joint Cyber Unit, developing and integrating cyber operations into UK and MoD processes. His final position was in MoD Joint Forces Cyber Group where he was the strategic cyber operations adviser, playing a key role in developing policies, concepts, and doctrine both nationally and internationally.

Pete has an MSc in cyberspace operations from Cranfield University. His dissertation on adding a cognitive dimension to active cyber defense was published by the Journal of Law and Cyber Warfare and explored how a better understanding of attacker psychology could be used to augment legal active cyber defense methodologies. He is also a certified information systems security professional (CISSP). Since leaving the RAF in 2016 he has been advising nationally and internationally on cybersecurity challenges and opportunities, supporting various organizations in developing their strategies. He is also a passionate supporter for the Cyber 9/12 policy and strategy competition, which has seen him present and judge at competitions in both the United States and Europe. As founder and former director of Cyber 9/12 UK, he lead the rollout of the competition in the UK.