Articles
Clear, practical insight on the topics shaping secure and regulated environments – from day-to-day delivery challenges to the frameworks and requirements that underpin them.
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Managing Data Flow in Highly Secure, Isolated Environments
Read more: Managing Data Flow in Highly Secure, Isolated EnvironmentsThe purpose of an isolated environment is to restrict the routes through which information and software can move. That same boundary creates a practical challenge for delivery teams. Technical files arrive, approved software needs to be introduced, project documentation must be reviewed and, in some cases, material needs to be released for an agreed purpose.…
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Real Differences Between Microsoft 365 E5 and Business Premium
Read more: Real Differences Between Microsoft 365 E5 and Business PremiumChoosing between Microsoft 365 Business Premium and E5 isn’t simply a licensing decision. This article explores the operational, security and compliance differences that matter when handling sensitive information and collaborating across the defence supply chain.
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Choosing the Right Secure Collaboration Platform
Read more: Choosing the Right Secure Collaboration PlatformChoosing a secure collaboration platform starts with a deceptively simple question: what work needs to happen, between whom, and with which information? A service that is well suited to occasional external file sharing may be a poor fit for a long-running regulated programme with managed endpoints, continuous monitoring and formal assurance obligations. Feature comparisons often…
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Def Stan 05-138 Explained
Read more: Def Stan 05-138 ExplainedA reference to Def Stan 05-138 often appears at an awkward point in a defence opportunity. A supplier has reached tender stage, received contractual security information or started preparing for assurance activity, and suddenly needs to understand how a broad defence standard translates into the technology, processes and people involved in day-to-day delivery. The first…
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How to Operate an Air-Gapped Environment Without Stopping Delivery
Read more: How to Operate an Air-Gapped Environment Without Stopping DeliveryAir-gapped is easy to describe. A programme separates a workload from external networks because direct connectivity is restricted, inappropriate or unavailable. The decision can be sound and necessary. It also changes the way ordinary work has to happen. People inside the boundary still need to create documents, use approved applications, manage identities, exchange information and…
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Defence Supply Chain Cyber Security – A Practical Guide for UK Suppliers
Read more: Defence Supply Chain Cyber Security – A Practical Guide for UK SuppliersFrom CSMv4 readiness and Defence Cyber Certification through to Secure by Design, secure collaboration and ongoing assurance, defence supply chain organisations must build approaches that are proportionate, evidence-led and workable in day-to-day delivery.
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The Reality of Cyber Resilience and Restoring Critical Services
Read more: The Reality of Cyber Resilience and Restoring Critical ServicesMost organisations accept that cyber security cannot be built around the assumption that every attack will be stopped at the perimeter. Controls remain essential, but the operating environment has changed. Modern day systems are now more connected than ever, supply chains are more digital, and a disruption in one part of an estate can rapidly…
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The Defence Investment Plan Sets a New Pace. Can Defence Keep Up?
Read more: The Defence Investment Plan Sets a New Pace. Can Defence Keep Up?The Defence Investment Plan sets a new pace for UK Defence. Meeting it will require more than faster purchasing or more advanced technology. It will require a delivery system in which organisations, systems and information can be integrated securely.
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OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE Information: What Happens Before and After Secure Sharing?
Read more: OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE Information: What Happens Before and After Secure Sharing?A defence SME wins a place on a new programme. It is the sort of contract the business has been working towards for years: credible customer, meaningful scope, and a chance to strengthen its position in the defence supply chain. The programme is already moving at pace. There are documents to review, drawings to amend,…
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From data visibility to decision confidence
Read more: From data visibility to decision confidenceMany organisations want better visibility of their data. The aim is understandable. Leaders want clearer reporting, better dashboards, stronger management information, and a more accurate view of performance, risk, delivery, operations, or demand. But visibility on its own is not enough. Visibility is not the same as trust A dashboard can be easy to read…
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Cyber Resilience Is What Makes Transformation Sustainable
Read more: Cyber Resilience Is What Makes Transformation SustainableDigital transformation in regulated organisations is very rarely a clean break from the past, more a negotiation with what already exists: legacy systems, inherited processes, supplier dependencies, regulatory duties and operating models that cannot be paused while a new environment is built. That reality often leads cyber resilience and transformation to be presented as competing…
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Applying CAF in Live Environments
Read more: Applying CAF in Live EnvironmentsThe National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) helps organisations assess and improve cyber resilience through structured objectives, principles, contributing outcomes and indicators of good practice. It provides a consistent basis for assessing whether essential services are adequately protected, particularly where essential functions and regulatory assurance are in scope. On paper, CAF offers…
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Cyber Essentials vs ISO 27001 vs NIST
Read more: Cyber Essentials vs ISO 27001 vs NISTOrganisations are often presented with Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001 and NIST as if they are comparable options. They are not. Each exists for a different purpose, operates at a different level, and delivers a different outcome. The confusion tends to arise because all three are associated with ‘good security’, yet none of them, on their…
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When Engineering Change Does Not Reach the Whole Supply Chain
Read more: When Engineering Change Does Not Reach the Whole Supply ChainEngineering change is a normal part of defence manufacturing. Designs mature, requirements evolve, components become unavailable, production issues emerge, and customer needs shift as a programme progresses. A change may begin as a technical adjustment, but its effects rarely stay confined to engineering. A revised drawing can affect work instructions, inspection criteria, supplier activity, production…
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What is IPSA? Personnel security assurance for defence suppliers
Read more: What is IPSA? Personnel security assurance for defence suppliersIPSA is an organisational assurance framework for personnel security in industry. Its purpose is to help eligible organisations in the defence supply chain manage personnel security to the standards expected when people hold or require National Security Vetting.
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Cyber Risk Management: An Overview for Government Suppliers
Read more: Cyber Risk Management: An Overview for Government SuppliersCyber risk management in the public sector is not a documentation exercise. It is a way of making better decisions about services, systems, suppliers and information that matter.