Peter Hacker is a passionate, internationally sought-after Swiss expert in his field who thinks outside the box. The speaker, entrepreneur and author research the topics of digital change, cyber crime and underwriting. He gives keynotes and lectures from Zurich to Sydney to New York, describing challenges, opportunities and solutions using real examples that drastically influence companies and politics. With more than 250 Keynotes and Board Advisory Sessions globally, Peter is one of the few globally recognised experts with strategic and operational experience and capabilities.

Cybercrime: Unlocking the mystery at Board Level

Five years ago, Cyber Security was not in front of minds of most boards. 10 years ago, most boards even did not know what the term meant. Today most boards are paying attention, some more than others. People are starting to realize whatever this thing is, and what it means. Chief Executive Officer can get fired.
Any Company or Director can become victim of Cybercrime at any time. It’s just a matter of ‘WHEN AND NOT IF’ an attack occurs. If you want to survive a catastrophic cyber incident in today’s world, you better think outside the classic IT–Security box, understand your fiduciary duties and stress test in real terms your response plan and incident partners. Cybercrime is a business and not just a technical issue. The enterprise is at risk if not handled appropriately.

The Lessons Learnt: ‘Covid-19’

Whether by chance or consciously, the ‘real viruses'(Covid-19),allow companies and risk teams to learn important lessons for their cyber security strategy. Attacks can also affect companies whose systems run current, regularly updated and properly patched software. Certain malware shows how important it is to restrict administrator privileges. A simple way is ‘leasing’ privileges so that employees who need them only have access to admin rights for a certain period of time. 

Cybercrime and Cyber Warfare

The arms race backed by artificial intelligence and state–sponsored actors shifts towards corporations. This is a war without a classic warrior. It doesn’t matter whether it’s automatic or autonomous. Cyber weapons, like Tomahawk Missiles, are just as disastrous, but even faster and more fatal for balance sheets and nations.
We have lived in a hidden cyber war for many years, but most of us have not recognised yet until the Russia/Ukraine conflict broke out on February 23rd, 2022. In any case, the classical ‘peace and war differentiation’ will not return. Whilst in the past weapons were primarily a defence means, non-kinetic weapons (‘cyber weapons’) are clear offensive instruments with a focus on fostering geopolitical change based on military, economic and political tower.

Seafare Warfare

The World’s Internet Infrastructure is vulnerable, but snipping a couple of lines may well have many subsequent unparalleled implications. Today, 95% of the Digital Traffic, i.e. transoceanic traffic, flows through Subsea Cables. It would be devastating if nation-state sponsored actors would attack and sabotage subsea cables. Such digital communications allow you receive or send messages from Asia Pacific to Europe or Middle East for instance. Cutting such lines would be immediate and high catastrophic. Imagine the idea of the global internet going dark which is truly frightening, but is such a scenario truly realistic indeed?