This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler China, Russia and you — The new cyber war explained
Oct 16, 2025
In this engaging discussion, James Sullivan, Director of Cyber and Tech at RUSI, sheds light on the escalating cyber threats from countries like China and Russia. He emphasizes the alarming frequency of attacks on critical infrastructure such as healthcare and energy. Sullivan highlights the necessity for businesses to treat cybersecurity as a duty of care and warns against complacency. He also explores the potential for international cooperation on cybercrime, all while navigating the complexities introduced by AI in the cyber landscape.
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Cybersecurity As Economic Security
- The NCSC reports an average of four nationally significant cyber attacks per week against the UK.
- Cybersecurity is now explicitly tied to national economic security and growth.
Ransomware Threatens Essential Services
- Ransomware is the most disruptive threat to critical infrastructure, hitting health, energy and transport.
- These incidents can prevent access to patient data and even stop blood transfusions.
Live Data-Breach Notification Example
- Gavin recounts getting an LNER data breach notification on his phone while on the podcast.
- James uses this to show that data breaches are now part of everyday life and often met with little surprise.