Confronting Modern Threats: Intelligence Services Leaders Highlight Security Imperatives
In a rare public meeting, MI6 and CIA chiefs, Richard Moore and Bill Burns, leaders of the UK and US foreign intelligence services, drew focus on the “unprecedented array of threats” facing the West and established global order, emphasising the West’s united stance, primarily citing Russian actions but also placing China on the radar.
Russia’s sabotage of strategic institutions and deployment of sophisticated intelligence operations as published in our previous reports, are only two features in Russia’s rotating armoury of threats; Physical threats towards the physical safety of personnel and infrastructure from direct military aggression to the Baltic states and recruitment of criminals for violent sabotage. – as with the London warehouse fire containing aid shipment for Ukraine. Nuclear blackmail posturing of both tactical and strategic weapons, energy infrastructure sabotage and disruption, naval action against internet infrastructure, weaponisation of migrant flows, political interference aimed towards division and destabilisation, maritime disruption, and cyber-attacks– the list goes on.
These threats are continuing to evolve. The fallout of the spike in major cyber-attacks by Unit 29155 of Russian Intelligence since 2022’s Ukraine invasion is now being revealed as worse and widespread than initially thought. Several EU and NATO countries as well as Asian and Latin American western allies have been targeted. Russia targeted multiple institutions, including government and civilian agencies, civil society associations, critical infrastructure, alongside the finance, transport, energy and health sectors – anything with links to supporting aid and the Ukrainian war effort, both direct and indirect. This highlights the absolute necessity for both private and public institutions to be attentive in evolving and developing their security measures to meet the dynamic threats of today’s geo-political arena, anyone being targetable.
This imperative is echoed by Moore and Burns. They implore proactive measures against Russian tactics, dismissing ideas of appeasement in face of Russian threats, especially nuclear. On the contrary, NATO assistance in Ukraine has proved successful in stemming Russian advances, causing Putin to issue nuclear threats, however Burns suggests “Putin’s a bully. He is going to sabre rattle from time to time” and while such behaviour is dangerous, can certainly be countered.
Burns points to the constant technological advancement of the West and its rapid technological deployments in Ukraine as a major reason for stemming Russia. Ukraine marks a new era of threats and ways of combatting them, seeing usage of commercial and military satellites, drone technology, social media, and extensive cyber warfare. Being able to evolve and develop new methods at a rapid pace and scale is essential in keeping this technological advantage and flexibility. This applies in both private and public sectors, Burns and Moore stating their partnership is augmented by a network with the private sector.
Although Russia is the loudest, it may not be the gravest threat. Burns and Moore stated that China is now considered the main intelligence and geopolitical challenge, reorganising their respective agencies to reflect it as a priority. Alongside emerging terror threats, this further emphasises the continuously growing range of threats to the everyday world order which must be met.
As Burns and Moore put it ‘There is no question that the international world order – the balanced system that has led to relative peace and stability and delivered rising living standards, opportunities and prosperity – is under threat in a way we haven’t seen since the Cold War.’ Ongoing political efforts to combat Russian sabotage in Europe, along with potential threats from other geopolitical challenges, underscore the severity of existing risks and the need for comprehensive protection and innovation in addressing global issues. To effectively safeguard your assets, private or public, it’s crucial to maintain a holistic view of all potential threats and their possible modus operandi, addressing them accordingly. As in Ukraine, Burns’ stance on keeping technological development going is essential in ensuring western civilisation keeps its edge against emerging threats and is an imperative for both private and public sectors. The fusion of effort by private and public sectors is a major asset in maintaining security resilience so that the global order can remain secure.
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