Data Centre Security: Protecting Infrastructure from Physical and Cyber Threats

Report highlights vision for digital infrastructure in 2030

In the face of rapidly increasing data volumes, relentless cyber threats, a critical shortage of skills, and the intricate demands of regulatory compliance, a startling 95% of businesses perceive their digital infrastructure as a risk to their operations.  The findings form part of a new report titled, ‘Vision 2030: Overcoming your digital infrastructure connectivity challenges and requirements’, from Telehouse International Corporation of Europe, a global data centre service provider.  250 UK IT decision-makers were surveyed to gauge their opinions on the digital infrastructure challenges and opportunities they are likely to face over the coming decade. Data deluge and infrastructure needs Looking ahead to 2030, a resounding nine in 10 (89%) of respondents anticipate the need for high-density, high-performance computer systems to harness the massive volumes of data generated by the IoT, widespread AI adoption, machine learning, advanced data analytics, and the expansion of cloud-based remote work. Moreover, 75% of organisations expect their data management responsibilities to increase significantly. Data vulnerability looms large Highlighting the growing apprehension among IT professionals, a significant 42% of respondents pinpointed software as the most vulnerable aspect of their digital infrastructure over the next decade. This finding underscores the urgency for organisations to bolster their software defences. Preparedness gap: The IoT and edge computing challenge The survey exposed a readiness gap, with more than half (55%) of respondents acknowledging their partial readiness to grapple with the challenges posed by emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing. About 11% of organisations admitted to having limited capabilities, a shortcoming that could significantly hamper their growth and competitiveness if not promptly addressed. Skills shortage persists The scarcity of IT skills remains a pressing issue, particularly regarding emerging technologies. Nearly a third (29%) of decision-makers identified artificial intelligence (AI) as the area where their organisation faces the most significant skills deficit. Meanwhile, 20% identified a shortage of cloud-related skills, and 14% expressed concerns about security expertise. To bridge this skills gap, 35% of organisations have initiated internal training programs focusing on AI, edge computing, and cyber security. AI integration and security concerns The research also highlighted a shifting landscape of challenges for IT decision-makers. Since Telehouse’s 2020 research, the percentage of senior IT professionals foreseeing the integration of AI and analytics as their most significant infrastructure challenge has grown from 23% to 33%. Notably, cyber security emerged as a prominent source of anxiety, with 33% expressing that cyber attacks are their top concern regarding downtime. This anxiety is exacerbated by the evolving landscape of regulations and compliance standards. Colocation on the rise As the complexities of security and compliance intensify, 54% of organisations are opting for colocation services over on-premises IT infrastructure. This represents a notable increase from the 33% reported in Telehouse's 2020 research. Investment and partnerships: The path forward Amid these challenges, 61% of respondents plan to increase their investment in data centre infrastructure over the next decade, while 33% expect investment levels to remain steady. Additionally, one-fifth of organisations are exploring commercial relationships with colocation providers to bolster their connectivity capabilities in the face of the impending data deluge. Mark Pestridge, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Telehouse Europe, comments, "Our research underscores the formidable digital infrastructure challenges that organisations are grappling with as they navigate emerging technologies amidst a persistent shortage of specialised IT skills and mounting concerns about cyber risks, downtime, and regulatory compliance. The exponential growth of data and the growing demand for digital connectivity make it imperative for businesses to adopt robust models and establish the right partnerships to harness connectivity opportunities."

UK organisations buckling under huge data security strain

Over a quarter (29%) of European organisations have been unable to fully utilise data within their organisation due to challenges with data security, according to an IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Immuta.   This data security “gap” is a result of organisations grappling with increasingly complex IT and data infrastructures internally, leading to huge siloes of sensitive data. Businesses must manage this alongside the external risk of rising cyber attacks in Europe, as 58% of UK organisations experienced an increase in cyber attacks in the last 12 months, followed by 49% in DACH and 47% in the Nordics.    According to insights from 108 European organisations, data security is rising rapidly to the top of the CEO’s agenda, 45% will prioritise spend on data security, risk and compliance this year to enable trustworthy data collaboration and sharing, followed by workplace solutions (36%), application development and deployment platforms (35%), infrastructure and operations (33%) and automation technologies (31%).  Organisations must also address a new blind spot caused by shadow data - a side effect of data sprawl in the cloud - with only 42% of European businesses selecting 'confident' or 'highly confident' in their ability to discover and classify sensitive data, both known and unknown, in the public cloud.   Meanwhile, evolving privacy regulations are creating tension between digital innovation and data sovereignty, only 15% of organisations in Europe are highly confident in their ability to discover and classify sensitive data in order to protect it. Additionally, when managing compliance with GDPR, the biggest challenges facing organisations stem from identifying and mapping personal data (41%), creating data protection by design (40%), data retention and deletion (38%) and data security (35%).  In the UK, organisations cited working from home and hybrid work as the top operational security priority for 2023, followed by cyber resilience of systems and data privacy and regulatory compliance. 58% described their organisation as 'confident' or 'highly confident' in its ability to discover and classify sensitive data, both known and unknown, in the public cloud - a significant increase on the European average (42%). 56% of UK organisations will expand or upgrade technology related to data access and governance in the next 12 months. “The reality is that organisations are typically operating with data spread across multiple platforms and locations, all whilst navigating a rapidly evolving privacy and regulatory landscape,” says Colin Mitchell, General Manager, Immuta. “Data is a critical asset for organisations, enabling collaboration, innovation and informing decisions. However, as data usage increases, businesses need to manage unauthorised access, breaches and misuse. This creates a complex dynamic between data utility — the usefulness and accessibility of data — and the security and compliance measures in place to protect data from risks.”   Looking ahead, organisations are exploring ways to build trust in data by streamlining their security operations and rationalise their existing security tool environment, 49% of respondents all working within security plan to expand or upgrade implementation of data access controls in the next 12 months. Nearly a third of European organisations (32%) also intend to increase spend on data discovery and classification to overcome challenges of complexity.  The IDC InfoBrief sets out how convergence to a data security platform enhances sensitive data protection across hybrid multi-cloud environments, while enabling authorised users to effectively utilise the data for business purposes. The full findings of the IDC Data Security Infobrief can be found here. 

Logpoint and METCLOUD to tackle cyber security challenges

Logpoint has announced a partnership with METCLOUD in the UK to address fundamental cyber security challenges for organisations, as the threat landscape worsens and cyber security expertise becomes increasingly scarce. METCLOUD will offer Logpoint Converged SIEM, including SIEM, SOAR, UEBA, AgentX, and Business Critical Security (BCS) technologies, to empower customers to efficiently manage, identify and remediate cyber threats across the business landscape.  “Logpoint’s solutions give us a greater breadth of capabilities around predictive and preventative analytics, and management and insights across the technology landscape. Logpoint has a unique offering with BCS for SAP, enabling us to address the significant SAP ERP market,” says Ian Vickers, CEO at METCLOUD. “SAP customers account for 87% of total global commerce, which is an enticing target for cyber criminals. Furthermore, the rapid adoption of AI/ML, IOT, OT, VR, digital twins, robotics and automation makes for a more connected world and as such significantly increases the risks of cyber attacks.” METCLOUD is providing Logpoint Converged SIEM and support services via its private and hybrid cloud offering. Logpoint’s cyber security platform protects the entire business by providing comprehensive threat detection, investigation and response across clients, servers, network systems, cloud workloads and business-critical applications​. In addition, METCLOUD has developed its own AI and data analytics services that integrate with Logpoint converged SIEM to further accelerate the speed of threat detection and remediation. “We’re excited about the synergies that the partnership between METCLOUD and Logpoint brings to market. The ability for mid-market organisations to consume SIEM-as-a-Service with SOAR capabilities included is valuable because it speeds up threat detection and remediation and this sector tends to lack the expertise, resources and experience required,” says Jesper Zerlang, CEO at Logpoint. “For larger organisations that are likely to have well established SOC capabilities in-house, Logpoint BCS for SAP is a unique, enhanced security offering that adds more capabilities to existing teams.” Logpoint has a range of customers in the UK, spanning the public sector and industries like finance, manufacturing, defence, and retail. By converging SIEM, SOAR, UEBA, endpoint security, and BCS technologies into a cyber security operations platform. The platform is available on-prem, in private cloud, and as SaaS.

Cyber attacks reach fever pitch in Q2 2023

Zayo Group Holdings has announced its annual Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) insights report, analysing DDoS attack activity and impact across industries in the first half of 2023.   The global landscape of increasing digitisation, political unrest and the emergence of widespread adoption of work from home, have all contributed to an increase in DDoS attacks, which jumped 200% in H1 2023 compared to the full year 2022.   Key findings in brief: Rapid acceleration of attacks: There was a 314% increase in overall attacks from the first half of 2022 to the first half of 2023. But that’s putting it lightly—in some industries, the growth was over 1,300%. Q2 2023 reached a fever pitch: As attackers continue to exploit the sophistication of AI and automation, there was a 387% increase in attack activity from Q1 to Q2 of this year alone.  Industries under fire:Telecommunications companies were a prime target for attackers due to the critical role telecom providers play in providing communication and internet services. The industry saw the most frequent attacks, accounting for roughly half of the total attack volume, with more than 37,000 attacks in the first half of 2023. Education, which had the highest frequency of attacks in the first half of 2022, was just behind the telecommunications industry. Cloud and SaaS companies also saw a significant increase in the frequency of attacks from the first half of 2022 to the first half of 2023. Retail, telecommunications and media companies experienced the largest attacks, with an average attack size of 3Gbps across all three verticals, which is a large enough attack to take down one to two offices depending on the company size. The largest aggregate attack, against the telecom sector, was 978Gbps. Comparatively, in 2022, telecommunications and government experienced the largest attacks.  The government sector experienced the longest attacks of any sector, a change from healthcare in 2022. Across all industries, the average duration of attacks increased by 216% from Q1 to Q2, with the finance industry seeing the largest leap from 41min to 108min.  Why it matters: DDoS attacks are the most common cyber attack against an organisation’s online presence. These are deliberate attacks in which a target’s internet circuit is flooded with fake or illegitimate traffic to prevent true user traffic from passing. Even small attacks can cause hours of downtime, resulting in immense costs for businesses, including lost money, time, customers and reputation.  No matter the attack frequency, duration, or size, unprotected organisations experienced an average cost of $200,000 per DDoS attack, according to HubSpot. Even small businesses are hit hard, with average costs of $120,000 to recover. “When your business will get hit by a DDoS attack is a game of probability,” says Anna Claiborne, SVP of Packet and Product Software Engineering at Zayo. “With a huge rise in attacks in 2023 and more attacks over 100Gbps, the odds are not in your favour. While there are a myriad of statistics on the cost of remediating a DDoS attack, the long-tail loss of customer confidence after an attack is difficult to quantify and even more difficult to fix. Running any business on the internet without DDoS protection is a risk, and you have to ask yourself if it's one worth taking.” Click here for more latest news.

Logpoint appoints Michael Haldbo as CFO

Logpoint has announced the appointment of Michael Haldbo as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Reporting to Logpoint's CEO, Jesper Zerlang, Michael will be responsible for taking the company successfully through the next step of the Logpoint journey to become a European cyber security powerhouse. “We’re excited that Michael is joining the Logpoint team as we grow beyond scaleup and into an established cyber security company. Michael has extensive experience in taking leadership over transformation projects and M&A,” says Jesper Zerlang. “With our recent acquisition by Summa Equity, we have proven that Logpoint has the capabilities and critical mass to take us to the next level, and as we mature the business model, he is an evident choice to support and protect the business financially.” Michael Haldbo has 20 years of international and nordic experience in financial planning, analysis and strategy execution. He served as CFO at Signicat, Europe’s leading provider of digital identity solutions. Michael has also held financial executive roles at other companies in the IT and payment-related sector, including Nets and Unwire. “Logpoint has such a strong value proposition with world-class cyber security solutions, competitive pricing models, and the agility and flexibility that enable us to challenge the big mastodons in the SIEM market and become the number one vendor in Europe with a global range,” says Michael Haldbo. “From my perspective, Logpoint ticks all the boxes, scaleup, growth market, a strong business model, transitioning into SaaS and private equity owned. The frosting on the cake is that Logpoint solutions address a major societal challenge, namely the ever-growing cyber threat in the wake of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine.” Click here for more latest news.

Omdia research defines key characteristics of sovereign cloud for enterprise

Analysis undertaken by Omdia has revealed that the approach to sovereign cloud by the leading vendors is as diverse as people’s understanding of what sovereign cloud is. The term sovereign cloud is a nebulous concept that means different things to different people. At its heart, it is about being compliant with the local regulations and laws of the country being operated in, with respect to how data is stored, processed, and who has access to it. Omdia has developed a six-level model that defines the broad different technical aspects attributed to sovereign cloud. Each country will apply different levels to the specific regulations and laws they pass, and it is this flexibility that characterises the market for sovereign cloud. The vendors with solutions in this space have selected to approach it in two different ways. Firstly, there is the sovereign by design school – where the architecture of the solution enables the vendor to offer sovereign cloud capabilities using its existing footprint. Secondly, there is the built to be sovereign school – where the vendors have taken an existing capability and specifically built a new offering that addresses some of the questions the sovereign by design school does not fully address. “While the motivation and approaches differ to delivering sovereign cloud, there is a common acceptance that it is not something the large vendors can do alone. The use of local trusted partners is key to any delivery strategy, but this use must be designed so that it meets the requirements, particularly delivering a cloud that is free from extraterritorial access. While much of the focus is on how any sovereign cloud will operate in Europe, that is not the only potential market, and vendors need to build solutions that are repeatable globally based on the different requirements the different geographies have,” says Roy Illsley, Chief Analyst and Lead of Omdia’s IT Operations Research Practice. “Vendors as diverse as AWS, Microsoft, Google, Oracle, IBM, VMware, NetApp, and OVHCloud are already offering sovereign clouds with these capabilities.” In a customer survey undertaken to support this piece of research, Omdia cloud services survey - 2023, it found that by the end of 2023 more than 70% of organisations have plans to adopt some form of sovereign cloud. The survey also demonstrated that the end users of a sovereign cloud have multiple different reasons for using it. The top two reasons respondents reported were, ‘data processing must be performed in country’ (29%) and ‘only residents of the country should be able to access the data’ (28%). These relate to level two and level three of the model, with ‘data residency’ (level one) third (24%) and only 18% selected level four resiliency. “Interestingly, EMEA is not the largest user of sovereign cloud currently, it is the lowest user, with only 25% of respondents, while Asia and Oceania report, 36% are currently using sovereign cloud, and 31% in North America. However, if the intentions are converted to actual usage, then by the end of 2023, Asia and Oceania will remain the largest market with 74% using sovereign cloud, followed by North America at 70%, and EMEA at 65%. However, these results must be cognisant of the fact the EMEA respondents were from a range of countries across the region and include a majority from non-EU countries, which can explain its low adoption figures, while North America must follow different state regulations particularly in relation to gambling regulations,” says Vlad Galabov, Research Director at Omdia’s Cloud and Data Centre Research Practice. One aspect of sovereign cloud that needs to be discussed is the commercial viability of any solution. By its very nature, a sovereign cloud will be specific to a country, and while there may be common features, some technical aspects may be very local. It is also worth noting that Omdia does not expect every workload or all the data to be considered as requiring a sovereign solution. Therefore, understanding the size of the market for the type of sovereign cloud being offered, and how repeatable this is, are key understandings that are yet to be established. The emergence of generative AI and the ability of companies to produce company specific models trained on its own data using one of the foundational models introduces another aspect of sovereign cloud that will need to be addressed. Cloud service providers were pointed out as the vertical that is most likely to deliver these sovereign solutions, but the research also found that data companies have solutions that could address the sovereign requirements. As with the software infrastructure vendors, Omdia considers that these two groups along with the OEM vendors could develop on-premises solutions that would be able to be configured for each specific use case. The big question for sovereign cloud is, will it remain a public cloud or will it revert to a private cloud? The answer is unknown, but the company expects to see these two groups, cloud service providers and OEMs and partners to market its specific strengths in relation to meeting the requirements. “It will become a question of balancing the risk, agility and cost equation as there is no absolute perfect solution. Rather it is the solution that the customer believes fits its needs and meets its budget,” concludes Roy. Click here for more latest news.

International Cyber Expo celebrates women in cyber security

To celebrate and connect cyber security’s remarkable women and their allies, Nineteen Group, organiser of International Cyber Expo, has launched ‘Grab the Mic: Women in Cyber’. The brand-new event, held within the wider exhibition, is produced and hosted by Eleanor Dallaway, Founder of Assured Intelligence and former Editor of Infosecurity Magazine. Kicking off the event will be a keynote entitled, ‘It Takes Two to Tango (If You Want to Tango Exceptionally Well)’, delivered by a female-male duo, a novel approach at a diversity event. The keynote will serve to reinforce the reality that we are stronger together, especially when on equal terms. This will then be followed by a panel discussion on ‘How to Land The Job of Your Dreams’, moderated by Eleanor. Despite the longstanding cyber security skills gap, many still struggle to land their perfect job in the sector. The panel discussion will investigate this disconnect, and invite individuals from various backgrounds to offer their perspectives. This includes a cyber security recruiter, a hiring manager, a senior industry professional that has made it to the boardroom, and a newcomer to the sector. Audience members will also have a chance to ask the panellists questions and seek advice on landing the job of their dreams. “I am over the moon to have the opportunity to bring another 'women in cyber' event to the sector, this time with International Cyber Expo as its home. I am as passionate today as I’ve ever been about improving inclusion in our industry, and nothing motivates me more than a room full of people who share that mission,” says Eleanor. “I’ve designed this event with the attendee at the heart and soul of it. I’ve spoken to people who have expressed a desire for greater opportunity to network at these events, so we’ve made that a core focus. We’ve built in enough time to schmooze, make friends and seek new job opportunities, for those looking. I’ve also been told that attendees want a guarantee that they’ll be granted access. So, I’ve worked with Rachael at Nineteen Group to ensure we have an event space big enough to welcome every single person who registers – without fail.” “We’ve been listening to what the cyber security community wants, and many of the women in the sector want the chance to be heard. This is why we’re delivering an inspiring and educational networking event for women and their allies in the industry,” says Rachael Shattock, Group Event Director at Nineteen Group. “We are so pleased to have Eleanor Dallaway on board to help us bring this new event to life at International Cyber Expo 2023. With almost two decades of experience as a tech journalist, and having founded women in cyber security networking events in her time as editor of Infosecurity Magazine, she brings a wealth of insight and contacts that will no doubt make this event a huge success. Not to mention, she is a formidable industry role model in her own right.” The event will be held on the Gallery Level at London Olympia on Tuesday, 26 September from 14:00 - 16:30 BST. Attendees can register online.

Southampton FC renews partnership with Acronis

Southampton FC has officially announced its renewed partnership with Acronis and Tailor Made Technologies (TMT). Under the agreement, TMT will be providing the team with a full suite of Acronis cyber protection solutions to protect the team's data assets and optimise data workflow, facilitating the team to perform at its best both on and off the pitch. Southampton Football Club is a professional football club that plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club chose Acronis Cyber Protect because it provides fast and reliable backup, AI-based anti-malware, and is accessible from a single intuitive console. While using a patchwork of five-star solutions for separate aspects of cyber security will still leave gaps in a system's defences, Acronis integrated approach ensures such gaps are eliminated, delivering superior resiliency for organisations like Southampton FC. Director of IT, Huw Fielding, comments, “Southampton FC takes cyber protection very seriously. Global organisations like ours often come under fire from cyber attacks targeting our sensitive data, including information on thousands of fans. Protecting the data we have been entrusted with is a significant priority for us, and we have the utmost confidence that Acronis solution, delivered by Tailor Made Technologies will help us do so. Acronis solutions are developed based on the Five Vectors of Cyber Protection— Safety, Accessibility, Privacy, Authenticity, and Security (SAPAS). This means that it is designed to provide the highest level of security possible and ensure that data is easily accessible to those with authorised permission, and that it is both authentic and tamper-free. While security and accessibility are often considered polarised concepts in data security, it proves that you can have the best of both worlds. Building on its existing partnerships with both Acronis and Southampton FC, the solution will be delivered by TMT as the official Acronis delivery partner. As experts in managed IT, cyber security, and communication solutions, TMT brings a wealth of experience from over 29 years of providing managed technologies that power SMEs to achieve their business goals. Darren Scott-Healey, CEO at TMT, says, “As CEO of TMT and a lifelong Saints fan, I am thrilled to announce our partnership with Southampton FC as their Acronis CyberFit Partner. We are excited to work alongside the club to meet their cyber security needs with the most innovative managed solutions. This partnership is a great opportunity for us to leverage our industry leading expertise, local focus, and technical support to help Southampton FC defend its operations, enhance its performance and push for promotion.” “We are proud to be renewing our partnership with Southampton FC, one of the best known and liked clubs in English football. We are thankful that the team shares our vision and passion for cyber protection, and we are excited to work with TMT who will deliver our first-class cyber protection solutions to protect the workloads of the club,” adds Ronan McCurtin, Vice President of Sales Europe, Turkey and Israel at Acronis. Click here for latest data centre news.

Legendary British astronaut to address AI in space exploration 

Big Data London, organised by Reed Exhibitions (RX), has unveiled its keynote lineup with renowned astronaut, Major Tim Peake, CMG, and the first British European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut to visit the International Space Station, set to headline the event. The exhibition and conference will run on 20 and 21 September 2023 at Olympia, London. Previously an Army Air Corp officer and test pilot, Tim Peake’s work on the ISS and active engagement with the public has made him a role model to millions. He will explain how technology such as AI has made missions to the international space station possible. His closing keynote session will take place at 4:40pm on 21 September in the Y-Axis keynote theatre.  The Big Data LDN keynotes are the centrepiece of the content programme and for 2023, it will be running two keynote theatres in parallel at opposing ends of the hall (x-axis and y-axis). Both theatres will be packed with leading subject matter experts presenting the latest intelligence and opinion on the industry’s hottest topics. The organisation connects data visionaries and real-world pioneers to deliver cutting-edge practical advice to delegates and in addition to Tim Peake, the keynote track will also feature speakers including:  Libby Liu, CEO at Whistleblower Aid, will present on the Y-Axis stage on 20 September from 15:20 - 15:50, to discuss ethics at the cutting-edge of innovation, and shed light on the importance of data privacy and ethics in the digital age. Libby has represented some of the most impactful big tech whistleblowers of the last several years, including Meta's Frances Haugen and Twitter's former Security Lead, Peiter 'Mudge' Zatko. She will speak to what big tech whistleblowers have in common, the ethical dilemmas they face long before their stories shake the foundations of companies and industries, what they grapple with, what motivates them and how they can blow the whistle safely and legally.  Ela Osterberger from Wetransfer, will present at 14:40 - 15:10, in the Data Strategy Theatre on 21 September to discuss ‘Data Strategy 101: The Essential Guide’ and why your company almost certainly needs one, how to assess what's required, what it should include and how to evolve it. The focus of this session will be a practical take home on the importance of how to implement a data strategy at scale that you can implement right away.   Gary Cronin, Director Digital Transformation, Data Engineering and Insights, Grant Thornton, will deep dive into technical data governance and unlocking the power of data assets on 21 September, 13:20 -13:50. Gary will discuss the world of data modelling, focusing on lineage, provenance, and auditability of data platforms to explore how businesses can build a robust data infrastructure that enables them to reverse data transactions and provide transparency for better decision-making and data-driven insights.    The event aims to join together industry leaders, data professionals, innovators, and enthusiasts to explore the limitless potential of data-driven technologies. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with representatives and consultants from over 180 exhibiting organisations to explore effective solutions to address their data challenges and develop a robust data-driven strategy for their businesses. The event will feature a lineup of participating organisations with renowned names such as ITV, Porsche, Google, Microsoft, Bank of England, The AA, EDF, OVO, Jaguar Land Rover, Expedia, Experian, M&C Saatchi, HelloFresh and Lloyds Banking Group.   Registration for the event is now open, and interested participants can secure their spots for free here. 

DTX + UCX Europe 2023 prepares teams for a new realm

As 2023's advancements in technology pose more questions than answers, the industry's most insightful minds come together at Digital Transformation EXPO Europe (DTX) - the home of digital transformation, and UC EXPO (UCX) - the home of customer and workplace tech. Taking place on 4 and 5 October 2023 at ExCel London, the event comes at a time when IT teams and business leaders are starting to realise the impact from emerging technologies which has led to the theme of this year's show being ‘preparing for the next realm'. Organisations can learn how to balance risk with reward - readying their people, processes and infrastructure for the continual evolution of enterprise technology and AI. On day one of the show, three inspiring headline speakers take to the stage with Baroness Martha Lane Fox, President of the British Chamber of Commerce and Founder of lastminute.com, opening the show to explore why businesses need to decide if AI is friend or foe. Plus, world-renowned social engineer and author of ‘People Hacker', Jenny Radcliffe, speaking on the impact of tools such as ChatGPT on human-based attacks and approaches; and former distinguished engineer at Google Cloud, Kelsey Hightower, discussing the future of open source for product innovation. Day two will feature comedian and TV presenter Dara O’Briain alongside presenter & UCL professor, Hannah Fry to discuss the key role of storytelling and the value of being human in the age of machines. Furthermore, 18 stages of content will host case studies, panel debates and peer-to-peer roundtables discussing cloud, networks, cyber security, DevOps, software engineering, unified communications and collaboration, AI and automation and data, plus a new stage dedicated to IT Ops and service management. This year's event will be backed by a host of household names including Cisco, Google, Microsoft, AWS, Zoom and HP, plus Sophos, Okta, ThreatLocker and Checkpoint. Dominie Roberts, Programme Lead for DTX + UCX, says, “Following our hugely successful Manchester show in May, we're even more excited for the Europe edition of DTX+UCX returning to London ExCeL at such a crucial time for IT teams and business leaders.” "This year's event is designed to help organisations gain the knowledge and solutions they need to keep up with advancements in technology and the way a new generation of customers and employees are using it.” “Given the lineup of headline speakers, featured case studies and technology showcases, this year is sure to be one of the best yet and we’ll be announcing the details of the agenda and expo over the next few weeks.” To register, click here. Find more events happening around you here.