Category: Advent IM Blog
News and information from the Advent IM team.
If DCC Is MOT Testing, Secure by Design Is Aerodynamic Engineering
- by Olivia Lawlor-Blackburn
- Advent IM Blog
Rather than viewing Defence Cyber Certification (DCC) and Secure by Design (SbD) as similar or overlapping, it’s more accurate to see them as operating at different layers of the system and supplier lifecycle. They serve different purposes, influence different behaviours, and deliver different types of assurance. Many discussions focus on what each framework requires, but […]
Read More
Cyber Essentials v3.3: What the April 2026 Update Means for Your Organisation
- by Olivia Lawlor-Blackburn
- Advent IM Blog
The UK’s Cyber Essentials scheme is about to undergo one of its most significant evolutions in years. From 27 April 2026, all new Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus assessments will be based on the updated Cyber Essentials v3.3 Requirements for IT Infrastructure, bringing clearer definitions, stricter security expectations, and a renewed focus on cloud‑first […]
Read More
Forced supplier exit: when “just terminate the contract” stops being realistic
- by Olivia Lawlor-Blackburn
- Advent IM Blog
There’s a phrase in DORA that sounds like it belongs in a Cold War handbook rather than a compliance framework: forced supplier exit. It has the energy of someone slamming a big red button. The nuclear option. The “right, that’s it” moment. But when you sit with it for five minutes, you realise it isn’t actually dramatic at all. It’s painfully practical. It’s what happens […]
Read More
Sovereignty for Sale? Why Britain Must Rebuild Its Own Combat Air Power
- by Olivia Lawlor-Blackburn
- Advent IM Blog
Between Q1 2019 and Q4 2024, the Ministry of Defence (including its arms length bodies) paid roughly £52.5 billion to private sector contractors—about half to UK headquartered firms and much of the remainder to U.S. companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Tussell’s analysis shows a clear pattern: the lion’s share of non UK spend goes to U.S. suppliers, […]
Read More
New Whitepaper Release: From Digital Transformation to Agentic AI Governance
- by Olivia Lawlor-Blackburn
- Advent IM Blog General
Free to download — no sign‑up required The rapid rise of agentic AI is reshaping the way financial services operate, make decisions, and manage risk. But with autonomy comes a new governance challenge: how do firms stay in control when systems can act, not just assist? From Digital Transformation to Agentic AI Governance: Operational Control, […]
Read More
Secure by Design: where we are now – the requirement for evidence
- by Olivia Lawlor-Blackburn
- Advent IM Blog
Secure by Design is growing up. Quietly. Relentlessly. A couple of years ago, “Secure by Design” was often treated like a well-meaning poster on the wall. Useful, yes. Enforced, not always. That has changed. Across the UK government, Secure by Design is increasingly how teams are expected to show that security is built into the […]
Read More
From Digital Banking to AI Trading: The Top Cyber Risks Financial Institutions Face in 2026
- by Anthony Orjally
- Advent IM Blog
Financial institutions in 2026 are innovating faster than ever, but so are attackers. As digital banking, cloud services, and AI-based trading grow, so do cyber threats that can disrupt operations, damage trust, and cause financial losses. Cyber Risk is now a Top Strategic Threat A 2026 industry survey by the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation […]
Read More
**PRESS RELEASE** Advent IM Data (Use and Access) Act (DUA) Training Receives CPD Certification
- by Olivia Lawlor-Blackburn
- Advent IM Blog
Media Contact: Olivia Lawlor Blackburn (0) 121 559 6699, bestpractice@advent-im.co.uk Date : 14.01.2026 Certification strengthens Advent IM’s commitment to high-quality, practitioner-focused data governance and security training as organisations prepare for new legislative requirements. Advent IM is pleased to announce that its Data (Use and Access) Act (DUA) Training has been formally CPD Certified, reinforcing the […]
Read More
Proxy SROs, real accountability, and why cyber risk keeps slipping through delivery cracks
- by Anthony Orjally
- Advent IM Blog
Cyber risk rarely “appears” at go-live. It gets designed in, quietly, through decisions made under pressure: a deadline nudged forward, a control deferred “temporarily”, a supplier integration accepted with caveats, an exception granted because “the business needs it”. None of that is inherently evil. It’s just how complex programmes behave when incentives, timelines and accountability […]
Read More
My Volunteer Experience at Wild Zoo – Michelle Horton, Head of Advent IM Training Academy
- by Olivia Lawlor-Blackburn
- Advent IM Blog
I recently spent two amazing days volunteering at Wild Zoo during the Zoo Tots festive event, where little ones under two came for a magical visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. We set up fun activities like colouring, warm hot chocolate, and, of course, that special moment meeting Santa! The first day was perfect, bright […]
Read More