Considering that cybercrime can have devastating consequences, we occasionally book cybersecurity experts to speak at Citywire events. I will admit I darkly enjoy these sessions. The audience nods along throughout, and when the speaker finishes there is a deathly silence in which everyone quietly questions their online security.
Such a moment occurred when award-winning journalist Misha Glenny spoke at our Wealth Manager Retreat in Hertfordshire. As the author of books such as McMafia: Seriously Organised Crime, and DarkMarket: How Hackers Became the New Mafia, Glenny is superbly qualified to terrify an audience. For as long as there are people who respond immediately to texts from the Royal Mail asking for money, and ironclad passwords like ‘1234’ and ‘password’ are commonplace, this will remain a valuable skill.
Anyhow, Glenny sat down with me after his presentation and reeled off some thoughts on how we can protect ourselves and our companies. The first point he made was that the lockdowns have already been a catalyst for intense digital transformation. ‘Some corporations have packed five years of work into 18 months,’ he said.
‘That’s great for…
