The UK’s decision to leave the European Union (EU) has raised concerns in the information security world, but most professional organisations are urging calm and pragmatism.
According to The Security Institute, the Brexit decision may have significant implications for the security profession and will inevitably present fresh challenges.
However, the organisation’s vice-president Alison Wakefield said security professionals pride themselves on being able to take the objective view, to put aside emotion and to focus instead on the hard facts of a situation.
“One thing we categorically disagree with is Michael Gove’s assertion that people in this country have had enough of experts,” she said.
“As an organisation that numbers a great many security experts in its membership, we believe the changes Brexit will bring mean that we, as a nation, will more than ever rely on these experts.”
Whatever cyber security challenges lie ahead as a result of Brexit, Wakefield said they will be met and overcome by the application of expertise and the diligent efforts of experts.
“The Security Institute’s raison d’être is to promote the professionalisation of security. Now that our country has chosen to go through a period of economic and political turbulence, let’s collectively – as experts in our field – do our utmost to re-emphasise professionalism, and redouble our efforts to help nurture security practitioners who can carry the ‘expert’ label with justification, pride and the external recognition they are due,” she said.
Adrian Davis, European managing director at security certification body (ISC)2, said information security is well-recognised as an international concern that has motivated levels of co-operation that already transcend national boundaries and politics.
“There is no reason to believe that this will come to an end or even be significantly interrupted by the Brexit vote,” he said, despite concerns by some information security professionals the cyber threat intelligence sharing may be impeded.
According to Davis, information security professionals in the UK and across Europe have at least two years to understand the practicalities that will affect their day-to-day job, and there is a good chance that quite a lot of what is anticipated over this time will not change.
The need in the UK to comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for example, will remain the same, he said, as UK businesses will continue handling EU citizens’ data.
“The march of technical innovation reflects global trends and will continue to shape the challenges we face on the front lines, and we all understand that threats and attacks are international. The work we do as a profession already ensures that the standards and practices required to face them account for differences in markets and regulatory expectations. I’m confident that, as a profession, information security professionals right across Europe will continue to work together,” said Davis.