The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
Meeting complex globalized threats in today’s world requires a cooperative international approach. How is intelligence and security cooperation evolving in the face of a weakening international liberal order? How should we strike the balance between reassertion of the sovereign interests of the nation state and the need on certain issues for extensive and deep levels of cooperation between intelligence and security services of nations with shared values and objectives? In this seminar, Sir Richard will try to offer a practical answer to these questions to meet the security needs of a world in political and strategic mutation.
Sir Richard will also examine the durability of both ‘Five Eyes’ and ‘The Special Relationship,’ and how the UK has managed these alliances whilst it was an EU member state. He will go on to discuss the EU’s attitude towards intelligence and security issues and how the UK positioned itself in relation to Brussels-based initiatives in areas touching on national security, and how Brexit may influence future arrangements.
Sir Richard Dearlove is Chairman of Ascot Underwriting at Lloyds, a Director of the Ascot Group of Insurance Companies, a Director of Kosmos Energy, Chairman of Crossword Cybersecurity and advisor to several other international companies. He was the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from 1999 to 2004, previously its Director of Operations, and as Director of Finance and Administration oversaw the Service’s move into its Headquarters at Vauxhall Cross. During his 40 year intelligence career he served as an operational officer in Nairobi, Prague, Paris, Geneva, and Washington.
Sir Richard is currently Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of London. He was Master of Pembroke College Cambridge until 2015 and also served as a Deputy VIce Chancellor of the University Of Cambridge. He is also the founder and Chair of the Cambridge Security Initiative, an educational charity and think tank which promotes security and intelligence studies.
