BRITISH ARMY
“ We are building an open architecture , which enables us to inject new digital technologies , predominantly applications , artificial intelligence tools ”
JONATHAN COLE MAJ GEN , BRITISH ARMY
“ It ' s about really good control of your data . And it ' s about having an infrastructure , including a hosting environment , which enables the power of those digital services . So we have to do so much of that underthe-bonnet activity in order to deliver the top end .”
That under-the-bonnet activity is essential , and it ’ s often tempting to become distracted by digital transformation ’ s dazzling user interfaces and functionality , but there is no room for complacency . There is no point having a dazzling digital solution if it is not built on rock-solid foundations – especially when it comes to cyber security .
Maj Gen Cole says that while the threat of cyber attacks is undoubtedly on the increase , physical attacks are just as much a threat as they always have been . If anything , those physical attacks are more dangerous as they are often coupled with a cyber element .
“ Often physical threats and cyber threats come together ,” says Maj Gen Cole . “ The most sophisticated adversary will seek to use physical and virtual means to attack us , and they will do that in a complimentary way .
“ So I think it ' s fair to say that cyber threats and physical threats between them present a very serious risk . And we have to deal with both together .”
78 December 2021