We are in the midst of a genuine revolution — one which is profoundly changing the way we live and has significant implications for our continued security and way of life. The information-intensive world of today has seen a massive explosion in online activity, data storage, data complexity and social networking, all of which are becoming overwhelming in terms of their volume, velocity and variety. We now need a radical new approach if we are to provide an effective threat intelligence capability able to seek out the digital footprints laid down by those who threaten the security of the state, the safety of the public, or who seek to commit serious and organised crime.

In the sixth century BC, Sun Tzu wrote his military treatise “The Art of War”. Despite being written over two millennia ago, the principles outlined in “The Art of War” are acknowledged by the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University1 in the United States of America as being relevant today in Information Warfare and cyber-security.

Financial markets participants are competing to deploy low latency architectures that can handle the explosion in data volumes, provide best execution and run algorithmic trading strategies. Measuring latency and minimising it to the point where fractions of a millisecond can be saved can mean the difference between winning and losing. The industry trend towards low latency means firms have little choice but to invest in this area if they are to remain competitive. The differentiation will lie in who can do it most profitably without spending the gains on infrastructure.

Recent control failures and rogue trader incidents have sent shockwaves throughout the banking industry. Judging by history it is likely that something similar will happen again. Banks who believed that regulatory compliance, internal controls and surveillance could be put on the back burner must think again. The traditional reaction of tightening up the control framework is not the answer. Not only does it impose an ever-increasing burden of cost and complexity but it also generates a false sense of security. Only by deploying a networked operational risk model supported by advanced information intelligence will banks be in a position to truly confront and deal with today’s threats – and those of tomorrow.

Organised criminal gangs are now targeting mobile operators as never before. Given that the penalties for fraud are typically less severe than for burglary or robbery of similar sums, combined with the difficulties of getting a successful prosecution, defrauding operators is a relatively low risk and lucrative activity. It is no wonder that some gangs now see it as more profitable than drug smuggling.

Results of our survey into public attitudes towards road user charging.

Results of our survey into public attitudes towards the introduction and security of new Chip & PIN cards.

Independent research into attitudes and trends towards security in major UK organisations.

The findings of an extensive, six month research programme exploring the issue of Customer Experience within the context of e-CRM - from the consumer's point of view.

Findings from detailed interviews conducted with 100 businesses from five industry sectors: retail banking; telecommunications; energy utilities; travel, tourism and leisure; life, pensions and investments.