Securing the Frontier
What Deep-Tech Organisations Must Get Right Before an Incident
Organisations operating in space, defence, advanced manufacturing and other high-stakes sectors face a combination of cybercrime, espionage, insider risk and supply-chain exposure.
This live panel brings together experience from national security, law enforcement, banking, fintech, critical infrastructure and organisational cybersecurity to examine what leaders should understand and put in place before an incident occurs.
Although the discussion will draw on examples from frontier sectors, the practical lessons will be relevant to any organisation seeking to reduce cyber risk and strengthen its readiness.
Security before the crisis
For organisations developing valuable technology, working across sensitive supply chains or operating critical systems, cybersecurity is not simply an IT concern. A single incident can affect intellectual property, commercial relationships, operational continuity and organisational trust.
This panel brings together experienced leaders from cybersecurity, law enforcement, national security, financial services, space operations and allied strategic planning.
The discussion will examine the threat environment facing deep-tech and high-stakes organisations, the areas where businesses are frequently most exposed, and the practical foundations that should be established before a crisis.
The conversation will focus on decisions leaders can make now: understanding who may target the organisation, recognising vulnerabilities created by people and partners, clarifying responsibility and preparing the organisation to respond effectively when something goes wrong.
Hosted and moderated by Deep Tech Education in partnership with CyberNorth as part of CyberFest 2026.
What the panel will explore
What threats are frontier organisations facing?
How cybercrime, espionage, ransomware and intellectual-property theft affect organisations developing valuable technologies or operating in sensitive sectors.
Where are organisations most exposed?
The risks created through insiders, suppliers, contractors, software dependencies and wider third-party relationships, including accidental insider risk and insecure AI-assisted development.
What should leaders put in place before an incident?
Practical preparedness, clear accountability, security culture, organisational resilience and the ability to respond decisively when an incident occurs.
Speakers
Klint Walker
Klint Walker is Founder of Rule of 3 Security, a CISA Supervisory Cybersecurity Advisor and former Chief Information Security Officer at the US National Air and Space Intelligence Center.
Darren Mott
Darren Mott is Director of Cyber Operations at Five Eyes Ltd and a retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent whose career spans cybercrime, cyber-counterintelligence and complex international investigations.
Jon Holden
Jon Holden is CEO of CyberNorth and a cybersecurity leader with extensive experience across banking, fintech and regulated financial services. He previously served as Chief Information Security Officer at Atom Bank, where he helped build and lead the security function for the UK’s first app-based bank.
Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Devin R. Pepper
Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Devin R. Pepper is a retired U.S. Space Force Major General and former Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Policy at NATO Allied Command Transformation. His career spans space operations, strategic planning, alliance policy and senior leadership across high-stakes defence environments.
Professional affiliations are included for biographical identification only. Participation does not imply endorsement by any current or former employer, government body or military organisation.
Ruta Kuisyte
Founder, Deep Tech Education
Ruta will host and moderate the discussion, connecting the speakers’ experience to the practical decisions facing founders, technical leaders and organisations working across deep-tech and high-stakes sectors.
Who should attend
- Founders, executives and operational leaders
- CTOs, CISOs and cybersecurity professionals
- Engineering, technical and product leaders
- Organisations operating in space, defence, advanced manufacturing, energy or critical infrastructure
- Technology suppliers and professional-services organisations
- Universities, public-sector bodies and regional ecosystem organisations
- Anyone responsible for organisational risk, preparedness or incident response
- Students and early-career professionals seeking a practical understanding of cybersecurity in frontier sectors
How the session runs
A 60-minute moderated panel followed by approximately 15 minutes of audience Q&A.
The session will be delivered live online through Google Meet. Registration is required and joining details will be sent to registered attendees.
Register free
Registration information is used to manage attendance, understand the audience and send joining information. It will not be shared with the speakers or other third parties by default.