HISC 2024 Programme

Software is pervasive, to the extent that modern society is now critically dependent on it, in myriad ways. Likewise, defence is now critically dependent on software, to provide the capabilities required by our armed forces and to deliver a leading edge over potential adversaries. The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is an obvious example of this phenomenon. To successfully deliver GCAP, a vast volume of software, including a significant amount of high-integrity software, and the associated Complex Electronic Hardware (CEH), needs to be delivered against a compressed timescale, within a large-scale, international, complex engineering programme. This presents a number of significant challenges. Taking a "features, not bugs" approach, these challenges are viewed as opportunities, to improve our approach to software within GCAP and more widely.

As the cybersecurity landscape evolves, the concepts of “cyber security”, secure by default", and "secure by design" are increasingly used interchangeably, creating ambiguity in implementation and policy. This talk aims to clarify these terms and review government approaches and the language changes that are shaping the future of cybersecurity. By shifting liability and responsibility earlier in the supply chain, governments and organisations are working to ensure robust security measures are embedded from the outset.

We will explore how these shifts have been reflected in National Government Strategies, with insights into collaborative statements and road mapping from CISA and other partner countries. The discussion will highlight the importance of embedding security measures in fostering stronger supply chain resilience and outline practical steps for engaging with supply chains on security matters.

In the world of high integrity software engineering, where safety and security are paramount, risk and vulnerability assessments are important everyday tools. But “risk” isn’t just a technical term — it’s a multi-faceted concept that touches on business viability, commercial competitiveness, sociological impacts, and national security. How can your business stay profitable while remaining agile enough to keep up with rapid technological advancements? How can governments remain nimble in the face of emerging threats? Standards act as crucial guardrails for developing critical systems, but in our fast-evolving landscape, is a step-by-step approach to their evolution enough? Or do we need a more radical overhaul?

Join our panel of industry experts as they dive into the intricate dance of balancing risk and reward. We’ll answer these big questions and more as we explore who should ultimately make the call on our collective risk appetite and how we can navigate these competing forces to forge a safer, more secure future.