Government securityThis blog will bring you updates about what’s happening in the Security Profession across Government.2023-10-24T16:09:50Zhttps://securityprofession.blog.gov.uk/feed/Angela Fisherhttps://securityprofession.blog.gov.uk/?p=14742023-10-24T16:09:50Z2023-10-24T16:02:13Z
Umaira, exercise lead in the Government Security Red Team.
In this episode of Off Mute - a women in cyber podcast, Isabella speaks with Umaira, an exercise lead in the Government Security Red Team.
Umaira runs us through what red teaming is, how it can improve security posture and what it means for the Civil Service. She also provides unique perspective into a security profession field which is driving the way forward in offensive defence measures, as we consider it in a cyber context as well.
Umaira discusses her experiences working in a male-dominant profession, and provides great advice about line management, career progression, and illuminates another job role in the public sector.
Off Mute was created by three fast streamers (Sam, Sophie and Isabella). They are at the start of their careers in cyber security on the Digital, Data and Technology and cyber stream. Their aim is to inspire others and highlight the accessibility of the profession and its necessity in the modern world.
If you know any women in cyber security with exciting stories to tell – or you are one yourself – get in touch as we’d love to hear from you!
GSP is keen to feature inspirational work colleagues from all backgrounds within the security profession. If you or someone you work with has an interesting story to share please email gsp@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
Lele, the Head of Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC) at the Home Office.
In the third episode of Off Mute - a women in cyber podcast, Sophie speaks to Lele about getting started in cyber security, the public versus private sector, career changes, governance risk and compliance (GRC) as a whole, and the experiences of women in cybersecurity.
Lele explains how governance risk and compliance GRC fits into the wider cyber landscape and paints a picture as to what it entails. They also discuss experiences of women in cybersecurity, including the challenges of motherhood, the importance of having a female boss, and navigating gender dynamics in the workplace. Lele encourages women to support and mentor each other, promoting diversity and inclusion in the industry.
From career advice to sector comparisons, the significance of GRC, and the experiences of women in cybersecurity, this episode offers valuable insights for both newcomers and seasoned professionals in the field.
Off Mute was created by three fast streamers (Sam, Sophie and Isabella). They are at the start of their careers in cyber security on the Digital, Data and Technology and cyber stream. Their aim is to inspire others and highlight the accessibility of the profession and its necessity in the modern world.
If you know any women in cyber security with exciting stories to tell – or you are one yourself – get in touch as we’d love to hear from you!
GSP is keen to feature inspirational work colleagues from all backgrounds within the security profession. If you or someone you work with has an interesting story to share please email gsp@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
We spoke to Dean, the head of personnel security for the Department of Health and Social Care. He was diagnosed with high functioning Asperger syndrome in 2016, when he was in his early 40s. We discussed how this affects his daily life, the misconceptions about Asperger’s and how managers and colleagues can be more supportive. Thank you Dean for taking the time to shed light on your experiences.
All my life has always been very difficult socially. It seemed like everybody had learned how to play a game, and I had not been given the rule book.
Difficulty with nonverbal conversation skills (distance, loudness, tone, etc.)
Uncoordinated movements, or clumsiness
Anxiety and depression
The tendencies described above vary widely among people. Many learn to overcome their challenges by building on strengths.
Looking back at your career, the Civil Service and outside, did you ever feel excluded in certain situations? Did you ever feel like you can't take part in things?
“This might be a neurotypical kind of response, but I took steps to remove myself from those social situations before I became excluded. So I almost excluded myself in a lot of those because that was part of my coping mechanism. I thought “this is a difficult situation for me, and I could handle it by not going.”
Social gatherings or being friends with people outside of work is different. I have a very clear demarcation of what is work, and what is not work. I try to keep those separate as much as I can. I would often try not to take part in things like away days.
There have been times when I've misread a room, or missed nuances and conversation. Oversharing is a very common one. These are all kinds of factors that would certainly affect my career. I'll pick up on conversations which don’t involve me in any way whatsoever, and then I'll go and introduce myself into that conversation because I overheard it, which sometimes is not very welcome!”
Do you think you removed yourself from situations because you felt a little awkward or that you might be judged?
“I just find them difficult and confusing. They take a lot of effort for me because I will preload every conversation. My mind would already be thinking of conversation trees and where it's gonna go and what I'm going to say next and what you're going to say and what I'm going to say … which takes a lot of time and effort. And then after that, once this conversation's over and I'm at the end of day, I will stay up for a few hours thinking about these interactions. And did I say the right thing? And did I choose the right path on my tree? Was my face reflecting how I felt - it's a combination of all these little things.”
What do you enjoy doing? What drives you?
“I love learning new things no matter what the subject is, honestly it doesn't matter. I will want to learn about it. That's always been particularly helpful because not only do I get to upskill all the time, but I can find areas where security interacts with another team or another department, and suddenly I want to learn everything about that team and that department. Which obviously, you know, is incredibly helpful.
There's constant evolutions in the security sphere, things are often changing, especially in personnel security on so many levels. That keeps me engaged. Part of the role is reactive, so I don't know everyday what I'm doing. But once again, it enables me to keep my mind busy and focused and thinking about applying things which really engage me outside of work.
I'm a massive geek, so I love movies and learning movie trivia and everything. I've got a kind of encyclopaedic knowledge of all these areas that I'm interested in, which I'm very conscious, is the Asperger’s. But if you need me for a pub quiz, I've definitely got some topics I'm particularly strong on!
But from that list you might notice, they're not social. I'm just doing my own thing, even in multiplayer games.”
What can line managers and team members do to incorporate you and your skill sets?
“Giving me things that enable me to go away and learn about something is always a really good engager. Projects where we don't know everything yet, that kind of stuff is always really good for me, making it time bound and having specific objectives is also really good because otherwise I have a tendency to stray and I just go down the rabbit hole. So it's good to keep it on track. And this involves a different kind of social interaction. Every interaction has a goal. It's not open-ended. It can't go off in a million directions. You've got set information that you need and your questioning is around that. This research can happen via email and it allows me to become a subject matter expert, which is great for me.
But having a team that you can be upfront with, that you feel comfortable with, is so important. I have an excellent team who support me. My manager is really supportive of me, and wants to understand more about Asperger’s and how they can support me. So that's always been really positive. But then with other teams, I often own it. “Hi, I'm Dean, and I've got Asperger’s. I might talk over you, or I might do this. I'm not being impolite.” And that seems to work really well.”
How did you feel before and after your diagnosis?
I always knew that I was different and that I was struggling and I was having issues.
Getting that diagnosis, though, was such a breath of fresh air because I could go away. I could do the research. You don't want to do the research beforehand because you end up diagnosing yourself as something that you don't have. You want somebody else to assess you, and then you can go away and educate yourself. It made all the difference to me in a very affirming way. Getting a diagnosis was one of the best things that could have happened for me.”
What can we do in the workplace and throughout programme design to make sure that we're including people with Asperger’s?
“The number one point is that it's a spectrum. Aspergers is not a blanket condition. If you’ve met one person with Asperger’s, you’ve met one person with Asperger’s - some will be more severe than others. But there will be aspects you need to take care of.
I think if you are running a project, it's important to recognise specific traits that are gonna affect engagement in the first place. If you're gonna go to an Asperger's network or neurodiversity network with a questionnaire, be very careful how you word your questions, because an “aspie” will look at a question in a very specific way.
They won't read into a question. They won't look for nuance in the question. If you're trying to get a varied response from an answer, you might find a very direct and specific answer from somebody who's neurodiverse, which might not be helpful for you.
You might need to ask very leading questions with very specific answers. For example I did a bit of work in developing the Vetting Standards, and they asked how my medication impacts my well-being. Rather than just put “not applicable”, I wrote paragraphs about why being Asperger’s meant I don't take medication, and why I don't. It’s one of the harshest things you can probably do to somebody on the spectrum because they will answer any question you put in front of them and they will be very focused on the question.
If you're gonna run a project, or look for feedback or any kind of questionnaire or anything like that, you really need to take that on board.”
Where can people go to learn more?
Ask questions. I won’t break if you ask me a question!
"And it's good when somebody does ask questions rather than make assumptions. Because like I said, it's a spectrum. Everybody is a little bit different. Finding out your specific needs can make all the difference to a person in general, and there are plenty of resources. There are websites available. Most government departments have a neurodiversity network. You can go along and educate yourself, and listen to some of the conversations that we're having.
Any neurodiversity network for your particular government organisation is always going to be a good first bet for you, either as an ally or as somebody who's neurodiverse. The National Autistic Society is a really good fountain of information there. And obviously it's UK centric, which is really important as well.Action for Asperger’s is another good one that I've used on occasion andMencap is another good one as well. So those are three I would definitely point people at if you wanna know more.
And for people with Asperger’s who are a bit unsure how to navigate this in the workplace I would advise to be up front about it because you will find things get easier, not harder, because people will then know how to take you.”
We’d like to offer our immense thanks to Dean for sharing his experience, and we hope it has been useful to our readers.
Do you have a story to share? Please get in touch with GSP at gsp@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. We’d love to hear from you!
Disabilities come in all forms, from visible to non-visible and from physical to mental. It's therefore important to keep in mind that disabilities exist in many ways, and although disability awareness month is a great time to remind ourselves about this, we should be mindful that disabilities exist all the time and impact people in many ways. We spoke with Therese, Head of the Government Security Centres Team in the Government Security Group, about her experiences.
Therese who suffers from myoclonic seizures, was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in her late 20s. The condition has a very wide-ranging impact on her health.
I have epilepsy, seizures, a stroke, spasticity, joint problems, migraines, connective tissue disorders, lung problems and Covid has now left me with tachycardia as my immune system went into overdrive - the list goes on, literally.
Unfortunately it does affect my ability to perhaps function in the same way that other people might be able to. So I have to balance out what I can and can't do.
Over 20 years of working in security Therese has noticed a huge improvement in understanding of what kind of workplace adjustment she might need.
In the last eight or ten years, the conversation has become much better. I really feel my input and role is valued and we have discussions about what I need to be able to function in my role.
The main improvement has been an ability to work from home.
Commuting every day is exhausting in itself, being in artificial lighting is just awful for me; using up all that energy every day to just commute is incredibly draining. So it allows me to work better from home.
She has also negotiated a later start time.
I have to take so much medication at night to stop the seizures that each morning is like coming out of a coma. The number of times I’ve fed muesli to the dog in the morning!
Are there any particular characteristics or ways of behaving that managers have displayed which made them really good allies?
Therese really appreciates the fact that she has such a good and open relationship with her line-manager.
We have regular conversations about my well-being. “How are you, how are you doing? Is there anything else we can do?”
She is however aware that this isn’t the case for everyone and not all line managers are so supportive.
I do hear some awful stories out there still so it's obviously still going on. So it does very much unfortunately come down to the individual line manager. But there are things we can do on our side as well. There's a bit you know of sort of educating your line manager about it. But I do think every line manager has a responsibility.
I've taken a particular approach where I share my medical records with my line manager. Because I do feel a slight imposter syndrome thing going on where I need to prove what I'm saying. I’ve not been asked to prove anything but I just find it easier to say “Here is a list of my conditions” so it’s authenticated if you want. I should stress that no one asked me to do this. And I'm not advocating that it's right for everyone. It is sharing personal information. But I trust my line manager and it makes me feel better that I do that.
My key message would be openness and communication. Disappearing while you're supposed to be working isn't good. When I'm working, I'm working. When I'm off sick, I'm off sick, but it's just about being open and transparent around that.
How can we be inclusive from the very beginning stages of what we do to include you and others with similar conditions?
Therese has found the move to more hybrid working to be very beneficial.
It sounds awful to say that, but since the change to working patterns and with a lot more people working from home, I have felt a bit more ‘seen’ because suddenly everyone has been thrown into the same sort of position as me, working from home and working virtually. And it's been quite interesting to watch everybody adjust to that.
And now, as we all try to move into a hybrid working situation more people have been able to understand how I've had to work. And also, it means I'm able to join in most meetings because there's usually a virtual element to all of them. So that’s been beneficial, not that I would have wanted Covid to happen at all!
But supporting that going forward, making sure there's always a virtual element to things so that people who might not be off sick, but not well enough to be working in the office, can participate.
I know people feel that you can't create the same kind of working relationships virtually, but I beg to differ, I think it's possible. I think we've got a generation of people growing up in the digital world and they form relationships that way. So I think it's happening already for better or worse.
Where can people go to learn more to educate themselves, to support their team members.
There's quite a lot of information on that Cabinet Office Intranet site. There's the ABLE network, which has a lot of information about workplace adjustments.
There are things like the disability passports, where you can get your adjustments written down, so that if you move jobs, you can take that with you so you don't have to go through the whole process again.
Occupational health assessments
Therese would advise anyone who's thinking they might need some adjustments to ask for an occupational health assessment. You’re entitled to have one if you meet the criteria.
The other thing is when I had my first occupational health assessment done it came back saying that I was classed as disabled under the Disability Act, which I found a bit of a shock to be honest. But being classed as disabled gives you certain protections. It is worth understanding that and worth declaring that through the HR system, so that it’s captured and understood if you have periods of absence, for example.
There's a lot of discussion about the term disabled. It doesn’t mean you're not able to do things, but perhaps need to do things in a different way. Breaking down those stereotypes is important.
My experience with occupational health assessments has been really good. I've just had another done. It's good to have one every once in a while if you have a long term health condition as things change.
Being thoughtful and mindful
We could also all benefit from being a bit more thoughtful and mindful of people. Making sure we ask people how they are? Do they need anything to help them with their work? I think it is a constant question that we ought to be asking colleagues and those who we work around.
We’d like to offer our immense thanks to Therese for sharing her experience, and we hope it has been useful to our readers.
GSP is keen to feature inspirational work colleagues from all backgrounds within the security profession. If you or someone you work with has an interesting story to share please email gsp@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
In this episode, the Off Mute team speak with Bella, who is Cyber Director at Government Security Group. Bella is one of the most senior women in government security, with a fascinating career history. She’s always been interested in tech and has held a variety of roles in the public and private sector before her appointment as Cyber Director. She tells us about Government Security Group’s plans to address diversity imbalances in the profession, her leadership journey and her experiences of motherhood.
Off Mute was created by three fast streamers (Sam, Sophie and Isabella). They are at the start of their careers in cyber security on the Digital, Data and Technology and cyber stream. Their aim is to inspire others and highlight the accessibility of the profession and its necessity in the modern world.
If you know any women in cyber security with exciting stories to tell – or you are one yourself – get in touch as we’d love to hear from you!
GSP is keen to feature inspirational work colleagues from all backgrounds within the security profession. If you or someone you work with has an interesting story to share please email gsp@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
We spoke to Samir, who has been working Government Security Group (GSG) for about a year.
One of the main reasons why I wanted to speak to you about Ramadan is because I've found in all the various places where I've worked that there's been a lot of misconceptions. Some people are afraid to ask, and there have been negative experiences from other places. So I’ve always worked to raise awareness each year when it does come around.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, so it's very important to muslims. We fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days and we can't have food or water. It’s a spiritual, important time for Muslims. We try to get close to God and we try to reflect about how we can improve as people and as Muslims as well. The reason as to why we do it is to reflect and acknowledge everything we have to be grateful for. As difficult as the month will be for us, we are reminded of people that are struggling in the world to have basic stuff like food and water.
You mentioned that you fast for 30 days. How does it impact your working life?
I find it difficult in the first week because it's hard for the body to adjust in terms of not having water during the day. It makes me tired, makes it harder to think and to use your brain. Essentially, you've got no energy. But it's just amazing how the body can adapt and get into a routine after a week. Even looking outside of Ramadan, fasting has been linked to a lot of health benefits in the way of detoxing the body.
How strict is the fast? What happens if you don't fast?
The general rule is if you're healthy and able, then you should be fasting. Obviously if you're sick or you have valid reasons (i.e. elderly, too young) you are exempt from fasting.Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, with the other four being the shahada (intention), Salah (praying), Ramadan, Zakat (giving to charity) and Hajj (Pilgrimage). These are the five key practices that Muslims are obligated to fulfil throughout their lives. It's really important to Muslims all around the world.
Why is Ramadan specifically important to you?
Ramadan helps me focus on why I think it's important to be a Muslim and it helps me to be a better person as well. A lot of the good characteristics of being a good Muslim is also the same as being a good person. Giving to charity, being friendly, being caring, being grateful for what you have, sharing with the community. It's important to me because it really helps me get close to God for that month. And looking beyond the month, I try to keep the habit for the year.
What does a day during Ramadan look like?
Because we fast from sunrise to sunset, we would wake up about an hour before sunrise and have a meal before we start our fast. This is followed by an early morning prayer as well. And then we would abstain from food and water until sunset. The Salah pillar means we have our four or five daily prayers, and during Ramadan, these prayers are worth more in terms of reward. When I talk about reward, I mean it in an Islamic sense. If you follow the five pillars of Islam and you do what is required as a Muslim, then you'll get rewards from God. When we die and the Day of Judgment comes, the rewards we have banked during our time alive help determine where we end up. Every prayer is worth more than it would be in other times of the year. So we really try to focus more on making sure we're praying on time, reading the Quran (our holy book) and really trying to get close to God.
What is Eid?
Eid-al-Fitr happens at the end of Ramadan. It’s a day of celebration where we're celebrating the end of Ramadan and acknowledging that we now become closer to God. It marks the end of the fasting period and is a sign that we have fulfilled one of the Pillars of Islam for this year.
There is a second Eid, Eid-al-Adha which marks the end of Hajj (the pilgrimage pillar).
How can colleagues celebrate with you during the month? How can they be a bit respectful during this month?
Our sleep pattern will be different because we'll be waking up before sunrise to eat and drink our only meal of the day, and we’ll have less energy. So colleagues can help by being wary that your colleagues are fasting and they might be tired. We might not have the required energy that we normally would. And we may want to alter their working patterns to facilitate prayers. Altering working patterns for the month, such as starting later and finishing later, could be useful.
Where can people go to learn more?
There's mosques all over the country and you can go online. If you know someone who's a Muslim, who'd be happy to speak about you could ask them and be sure they'd be happy to tell you more about it.
The Civil Service also has its own active Muslim Network, who have published useful information covering what Ramadan is and how line managers can be more supportive. Go to the Civil Service Muslim Network website
We’d like to offer our immense thanks to Samir for sharing his experience, and we hope it has been useful to our readers.
GSP is keen to feature inspirational work colleagues from all backgrounds within the security profession. If you or someone you work with has an interesting story to share please email gsp@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
Last month we celebrated LGBT+ History Month and we had the chance to speak with Mike about what we can do to keep the focus alive throughout the whole year. Mike is a Senior Investigator for the National Crime Agency (NCA) and is also the Membership and Communications Secretary within EMBRACE, the NCA’s LBGT+ network.
Headline events which happen throughout the year are a great time to remind ourselves of why allies are needed, to celebrate the diverse LGBT+ community, and emphasise why the community needs to stay vocal - but it shouldn't be the sole focus of the conversation around the community.
What does a good ally look like? What sort of qualities do you think they need to bring with them so that you feel comfortable in the workplace?
Mike's view is very much this: you don't necessarily need to do too much to be an incredible ally. Being a strong ally can just simply be listening to your colleagues, learning about them and the communities they come from. That's not just in the LGBT+ community either, that's generally across the board in the whole spectrum of diversity that makes up our profession and the wider Civil Service.
It is important to understand where your colleagues come from. What does their lived experience look like? And how does that affect the way that they work? What positives can it bring to the workplace? But also what are the unique challenges they may be facing and how might this also affect their work? Just listening and engaging with that and just showing that open mindedness is a step in the right direction to being an ally.
Microaggressions
A microaggression, as defined in the Oxford Dictionary, is “a statement, action or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalised group such as a racial or ethnic minority”.
Sadly these do still exist in the workplace. Mike could name countless times even in the last few months where having a heterosexual relationship is still considered the norm and he met new people at work who asked “oh so, do you have a girlfriend/a wife.” Even when he uses gender neutral terms like ‘my partner’, people will ask him “what does she do?”, “is she in the job?” and “how long have you known her for?”.
There are scenarios where it is known Mike has a male partner, and he has been asked “who is the man and who is the woman in the relationship” – a stereotypical question frequently asked of same sex couples. He says that he genuinely does not feel like any of these questions have been asked maliciously, but they do represent the need to have a systematic change in inclusivity in the way we engage with our colleagues.
In these circumstances I have to make a split decision – do I step up and tell people their assumptions are wrong, or do I go along with it? In essence, I’m navigating whether to explain myself and ‘come out’ again.
Mike says this is something that is also reflected outside of the workplaces as well, a general challenge faced by the LGBT+ community around the feeling of having to check yourself as they go about their daily life. Consider this; when you greet your partner outside of work, if you're in heterosexual relationship, how do you do this? Do you use the affection you greet them - hold their hand, kiss them, for example? This isn’t a freedom that homosexual couples necessarily experience.
Visible support at a senior level
A lot of our diverse communities have different points in the year where things are celebrated, whether that's faith around a religious holiday, history or reflective months. Whilst that can be used as an opportunity to really show that a senior leader and the senior leadership team are really behind the community – this needs to leak out over the rest of the year.
It's important being at senior levels to speak openly and freely, advocating for diversity across the board. If you're at that level you need to have the mindset that the more diverse and broad your workforce is, the more likely they are to achieve organisational objectives because they bring in fresh ideas, and more productive because they feel confident and comfortable at work to ‘bring their whole self to work.
What might you say to someone who wants to be an ally but doesn’t feel like it's their space to do so?
It’s everyone’s space to do so. Some of the best allies that I’ve had in my career are those who are cisgender and heterosexual, but they're willing to advocate for LGBT+ people and step up and challenge homophobia, biphobia, transphobia when it's happening.
Mike says if you had watched someone use the incorrect pronoun towards someone, there's ways to challenge that without making it uncomfortable for the person that's impacted, or confrontational towards the person who you’re challenging. He'd always advocate that if you want to step up, but you don't necessarily feel like you could do it in the public forum, speak to the parties in private.
Focus on the person affected - start that conversation by approaching the person in a safe space and saying “Look I watched this happen and I wanted to step up, but I didn't feel like I necessarily could have done so. If this situation happens again, how would you like me to address it?”. That way you’re able to be proactive should it happen again, but also not taking all of the control out of that situation for the member of the community.
What do you think your colleagues and your managers can do, make you feel make you and others feel more supported, and more included?
This is simply about not making somebody's sexuality or their gender identity a talking point or something you focus on any more than you would do with someone that's heterosexual/cisgendered. It's really normal for us in the workplace to speak openly about our families, our hobbies and private life - if you're a member of sports team, where you holiday etc. Just treat it like another talking point - people want to bring their whole self to work but don't single out LGBT+ element.
Don’t be afraid to ask but also don't take it personally if someone doesn't want to share with you.
Some years ago, whilst working in a public protection investigation team, there was a case that involved offending involving those of the same sex. The Detective Inspector (DI) of the case wanted to ask Mike about elements of the case which centred around gay culture/gay relationships.
I was able to explain the elements of the case they just didn't understand because it was unique to being in an LBGT+ relationship. It steered that approach towards LGBT+ individuals and ultimately allowed the team to give a better service to the community going forward.
Mike says sexuality isn’t a massive part of his personality, but it is a part of him that's unique and he can bring this to work. He is grateful to the DI that she quietly and privately asked if he would be comfortable talking about it and he felt confident that he could safely refuse to talk about it if he wanted.
If someone does share some personal information about who they are, don't just assume that because they've told you that it's going to be public knowledge. Just make sure to clarify that with them. It's a very small step, but it just makes sure that you aren't inadvertently outing someone in the workplace who isn't ready for that yet, because having that power taken away from you really takes your feet out from underneath you. But use their knowledge to support your work when it’s appropriate to do so – just like my DI did.
Where can people go to learn more?
LGBT+ networks are a fantastic resource for entire workforces at whatever grade you are. If you're practitioner/supervisor level they're great places to network with other members of the community and show that strong allyship, but also gain invaluable experience and knowledge from committees. Often LGBT+ networks will have access to masses of resources and knowledge, especially around transitioning in the workplace or supporting people who are coming out.
Switchboard is an LGBT+ helpline provides a safe space for anyone to discuss anything, including sexuality, gender identity, sexual health and emotional wellbeing. They can be contacted on 0300 330 0630. More can be found at https://switchboard.lgbt/.
GALOP is a support service for LGBT+ people who have/are experiencing abuse in all forms. They recently launched the first LGBT+ helpline, contactable on 0800 999 5428. More can be found at http://www.galop.org.uk/get-help/.
Similarly, you have the voluntary sector – of note Stonewall and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion (ENEI), all have really great pools of information. This can help with that personal responsibility to go away and learn a bit more about that so that you can understand the challenges.
We’d like to offer our immense thanks to Mike for sharing his experience, and we hope it has been useful to our readers.
GSP is keen to feature inspirational work colleagues from all backgrounds within the security profession. If you or someone you work with has an interesting story to share please email gsp@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
This International Women’s Day we want to celebrate the women working in cyber and security with the launch of a new podcast, ‘Off Mute’.
Off Mute - a new podcast
Women make up 47 % of the UK workforce, but only 15 % of the cyber sector is female. A severe underrepresentation and an obvious gender imbalance.
Off Mute is a series of 30-minute in-depth interviews with women working in the security profession. Those featured will come from a variety of backgrounds including senior leadership as well as those who are not from a cyber or technical background. The interviews will cover topics such as career progression, leadership, what a career in cyber entails, and what it’s like to be a woman in the cyber sector.
Tune-in whether you’re already in the cyber profession or are interested in a career within it. Episodes will be published monthly on this blog.
The creators
Off Mute was created by three fast streamers (Sam, Sophie and Isabella). They are at the start of their careers in cyber security on the Digital, Data and Technology and cyber stream. Their aim is to inspire others and highlight the accessibility of the profession and its necessity in the modern world.
It's been an exciting process co-ordinating this podcast as we have come up with the idea entirely self-sufficiently and then sought out the help of the Government Security Profession and the Diversity and Inclusion leads within the Cabinet Office who have supported this idea from as soon as they heard about it. If we want to ensure a skilled, diverse, workforce, we must make sure we have all walks of life discuss their professional experiences to illustrate to others that there are people like them in the profession, and we need more!
You don’t need to come from a technical or cyber background
We want to encourage people who are currently underrepresented in cybersecurity to consider cyber and the government security profession to be a place for them. The digital economy is developing at a rapid rate, and we want to inform others about the profession to ensure increased diversity and inclusion for all.
Off Mute Episode 1
This month, the Off Mute team speak with Anna, a senior threat analyst at the Home Office. Anna came from a non-technical background, but has worked her way up from an apprentice into a technical, line management role. In this episode she provides insight into her career progression, the challenges she has faced along the way, and provides her unique insight into the world of cyber.
GSP is keen to feature inspirational work colleagues from all backgrounds within the security profession. If you or someone you work with has an interesting story to share please contact gsp@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
]]>Birju Sonigrahttps://securityprofession.blog.gov.uk/?p=13362023-02-03T16:38:30Z2023-02-03T16:38:30ZIt’s a frightening statistic that cancer will affect 1 in 2 of us. Many of us are not sure where to go for help and advice if they have received a diagnosis or how to help those we know and work with if they have to undergo cancer treatment.Government Security Profession (GSP) spoke with Nikki Evans, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Director of Resources at Air Command and Co-chair of the Defence Cancer Support Network about her recent personal experience.Nikki was diagnosed with breast cancer in Feb 2020 and despite the delays caused by the COVID 19 pandemic received treatment including surgery and chemotherapy. She is currently free from the disease.
What were some of the main influences which helped you through that difficult time?
Nikki believes that a positive mindset is helpful. She was also very grateful for the support of friends, family and work colleagues which kept her spirits up. It kept her going, knowing that there were so many people thinking about her and wishing her well, not to mention all the lovely cards, flowers and other lovely goodies and treats she received.
Looking back to when you were suffering and undertaking the treatment, what activities became difficult to perform?
Everyone is different and it depends what treatment you have. Nikki had two lots of surgery after which she had to take two weeks away from work to recover and build up her strength with physiotherapy. Nikki had 2 types of chemotherapy over 18 weeks; the first made her very tired and nauseous, which is normal. The second type affected her much more severely physically in terms of pain, and that was difficult to manage.
Because Nikki only joined MOD in 2019 and her first day's absence fell two weeks before she’d served 1 years’ service, she had very little paid occupational sick leave available. As a result, she had to keep working to avoid being on a long period of half pay and unpaid leave.
What ways could a manager offer support to someone with cancer?
The first thing a line manager can do is to have a conversation with the person affected by cancer. It is important to remember that it isn’t just those who received the diagnosis who are affected. Really listen to what your colleague needs in terms of support from you and agree on a way forward which includes communication with the person concerned and others in the team.
How can people offer that support without coming across patronising?
Take the lead from the person who's had the diagnosis or who's family member or friend has had the diagnosis and don’t ask too many intrusive questions. Acknowledge the worry, upset or concern but try not to be patronising and overly positive.
Nikki suggests this is a good opening statement.“I know you've had this difficult news. I'd like to support you, so let me know what I can do.”
She also says that working and carrying on being as normal as possible is important. It can provide stability and other things to think about as well as having regular contact with others outside of the medical team.
If someone is having a particularly difficult day, try “I’m sorry you’re having a rough day, we’re here with you” rather than – “chin up – you’re doing really well”.
Did you get the necessary support in the workplace that you needed after that or did you think they could have been some more done?
When Nikki’s physical treatment stopped, she felt like a train hitting the buffers. That’s when the mental health issues kicked in. People often made assumptions that because active treatment was completed, and she had been declared “No Evidence of Disease” that she was ‘back to normal’. That was hard for Nikki to navigate. “Because once you've had cancer, you're never back to how you were before.”
Nikki was supported by her immediate colleagues but felt that more could be done in terms of navigating policies through and after treatment.
She did use the employment assistance program and arranged counselling through that.This is one of the reasons that Nikki and her colleagues set up the Defence Cancer Support Network to help support all those who are affected by cancer: both during and after treatment. There is also a cross government Cancer Support group, easily accessible online. Macmillan is a good one for line managers, because it's got the line manager information. People should also be aware that GP and local primary care services can offer support as well.
We’d like to offer our immense thanks to Nikki for sharing her experience, and we hope it has been useful to our readers in looking at how to manage cancer in the workplace.
GSP is keen to feature inspirational work colleagues from all backgrounds within the security profession. If you or someone you work with has an interesting story to share please contact governmentsecurity@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
Alex Chisholm and Bella Powell discussing on the main stage at the Government Cyber Security Conference
The Government Cyber Security Conference took place on 16 November 2022. Run as a hybrid event for the first time, the plenary sessions on the main stage reached an audience of over 400 attending in person or online. The agenda boasted an impressive range of speakers including Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office, Vincent Devine, Government Chief Security Officer and Head of the Government Security Function. and Jeff Moss, Founder of BlackHat and DEF CON.
Bella Powell, Director of the newly formed Cyber Directorate in Government Security Group (GSG) introduced the keynote address which was delivered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMB. The Baroness focused on the need to strengthen Government Cyber Security.
This theme was developed by Victor Zhora, (Deputy Head , Chief Transformation Officer at the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine) who spoke about redefining good cyber resilience in light of the Ukraine Crisis. He also participated in an international panel discussion which focussed on driving down Government Cyber risks.
The panel discussing International Perspectives on Driving Down Government Risks
Why does cyber security remain our greatest challenge?
The topics covered were as wide ranging as the speakers. However one of the main themes was the need to recruit and retain skilled cyber professionals. This subject was raised by a number of audience questions and continued in a panel discussion about Developing An Inclusive and Skilled Cyber Security Profession moderated by Srishti Krishnamoorthy-Cavell, Head of Future Strategy who described her own unique career path into cyber via a degree in English Literature.
What is it like to work in cyber?
Conference delegates were invited to share their motivations for working in Government Cyber Security. Their responses showed how passionately the majority felt about the importance of the work that they do and the pride that they feel about working in this sector which they described as:
a unique challenge
constantly changing
fulfilling and rewarding
ability to influence change
critical enabler for everything else HMG does
Government Cyber Security Strategy 2022-2030
Other highlights included updates on the delivery of the Government Security Strategy by Pete Cooper, Deputy Director of Cyber Security and a breakout session focusing on two of its key deliverables:
GovAssure which will increase cyber resilience across the public sector through a radical new method of cyber assurance, and
Secure by Design ensuring that cyber resilience is considered from the start and at every stage of a project.
The conference highlighted the challenges that cyber presents and the commitment and hard-work of those working in it.
Find out more about a career in Government Security
If you are interested in learning more about the opportunities for developing your career in Government visit our website