Resilience is now firmly on the national agenda in most Western countries. And questions of resilience go far beyond cyber and IT security.
Organisations need to know they can withstand disruption and recover from failures across power, water and communications as well as technology.
At a higher level, governments are considering the impact of disruption to transport, healthcare and food supply chains, whether this results from accidents, acts of nature, or hostile intent.
But just how well prepared are we when the systems we depend on stop working?
Are we protecting the connections and networks that support a modern economy, but also allow disruption to spread rapidly between organisations?
Has the pursuit of efficiency has stripped out vital redundancy? Do cyber threats pose new risks to organisations, governments and society?
Lord Toby Harris, chair of the National Preparedness Commission, joined us to discuss the state of the UK’s resilience following his keynote at the recent DTX London event. As he argues, preparedness requires businesses, communities and households to all play their part, alongside government.
Investment in preparedness was scaled back after the Cold War. But, he says, that is changing. Governments and businesses are increasingly aware of the challenge, even if they have not yet found all the answers.
About our guest
Lord Toby Harris chairs the National Preparedness Commission, which has been influential in developing the UK Government Resilience Action Plan and has become the leading body promoting better preparedness for a major crisis or incident.
He has conducted two independent reviews on London’s terrorism preparedness and a major review for the Ministry of Justice (“The Harris Review: Changing Prisons, Saving Lives”).
Formerly, he was a Council Leader, London Assembly member, Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, member of the EU Committee of the Regions, and Chaired National Trading Standards.
He is a Visiting Professor at Imperial College and at Cranfield University, and chairs the Fundraising Regulator, which oversees charitable fundraising. Until September 2025 he chaired the General Dental Council that regulates dental professionals.
He has been a Life Peer since 1998, chairs the Labour Peers, and is a former member of the Joint Committee on National Security.
Lord Harris, Chair of the National Preparedness Commission
Featured image: Frauke Riether from Pixabay
Be the first to comment