Events

Keynote speaker: Sarah Austerberry, CEO, The Security Institute

Sarah Austerberry MLitt CSyP FSyI has spent her entire career in security and intelligence, with a keen focus on people risk in organisations and how they can put in place better mechanisms for supporting people before they cause undue harm.

Much of the time, Sarah’s focus has, ironically, been very little to do with security and much more about communication, vision, leadership and good management: indispensable skills that she brought to the table as Director and Vice-Chair of The Security Institute, and now as its Chief Executive Officer. Her mission is to support and organise Head Office in delivering the board’s vision for better future for the Institute and the world of security at large. 

Session 1: Connected Threats, Shared Lessons – Insights from CNI Attacks Beyond Nuclear 

Recent incidents in aviation, logistics, energy and conflict zones show how attackers exploit seams between physical, cyber and human systems across Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). This session explores what those events tell us about the evolving threat landscape and how the nuclear sector can apply cross-sector lessons to strengthen resilience.

Session Goals

• Identify recurring patterns in recent CNI attacks.
• Examine attacker adaptation, escalation and cross-domain effects.
• Distil what worked (and what failed) in incident responses.
• Consider state-sponsored and foreign national exploitation risks.
• Translate cross-sector learning into practical nuclear security improvements.

Confirmed speakers

• Magpie Graham, Technical Director of Operational Empowerment - Dragos 
• Darya Dolzikova, Senior Research Fellow, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy - RUSI 
• National Protective Security Authority

Session 2: Leading, Not Following – Setting the Standard for Modern Nuclear Security

The emergence of Small and Advanced Modular Reactors offers a rare chance to embed security from first principles rather than add it after the fact. This session looks at proportionate, scalable and innovation-led approaches that can shape future Relevant Good Practice (RGP) for new build, operating fleets and decommissioning environments alike.

Confirmed speakers

• Sam Stephens, SMR Security Lead, Great British Energy - Nuclear 
• Chris Logan, Chief Inspector - Civil Nuclear Constabulary 
• Annabel Peach, Project Manager - Nuclear Restoration Services 

Session Goals

• Embed security by design in SMRs, AMRs and future systems.
• Develop proportionate, scalable protection and response models.
• Link new approaches to challenges at existing and legacy sites.
• Use innovation to inform and uplift future RGP across the sector.

Session 3: From Frustration to Fallout – How Insider Threats Emerge and Escalate

Insider activity remains one of the most complex risks in high-consequence environments. Drawing on historical cases, current research and operational experience, this session examines how small behaviours escalate into strategic consequences and what organisations can do to detect, deter and manage insider risk more effectively.

Session Goals

• Learn from historical insider and subversion cases.
• Hear emerging evidence from current cross-sector research.
• Expose cultural and procedural blind spots that mask risk.
• Strengthen vetting, behavioural awareness, aftercare and consequence management.

Confirmed speakers

• Dr Dan Lomas - University of Nottingham
• Stacy Snook - High Security Organisations and Government
• Christopher Sharp - AWE

* To be considered for a student place please email your course details to events@nuclearinst.com 

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