Computer Weekly contributor named Godfather of UK Security

Mike Gillespie, founder of cyber consultancy Advent IM and a frequent contributor to the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank, has been named Godfather of UK Security at the annual Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards, recognising the too-often forgotten heroes of the cyber security community, which took place in London on 18 October.

Gillespie came to cyber security in the early 2000s, after 10 years spent serving in the British Army, and set up Advent IM in 2002. An independent information security, data protection and physical security consultancy and training provider, Advent IM specialises in holistic strategies and services that enable business and manage risk.

He also serves as vice-president of the C3i Centre for Strategic Cyberspace and Security Science (CSCSS) and has acted as a cyber spokesperson for the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) and the cyber security lead for the surveillance cameras guide from the government’s surveillance camera commissioner – an area in which he is one of the country’s foremost authorities.

“I am honoured to have won the Godfather of Security Award at this year’s Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards,” said Gillespie. “This award is a testament to the hard work, dedication and support of so many people, and I am truly grateful.

“The Unsung Hero Awards are a great showcase of the excellence within our industry, and I look forward to seeing them continue to support existing and new talent in the coming years.

“I want to acknowledge the incredible team at Advent IM that I have had the privilege to work with,” he said. “Without their unwavering commitment, support and collaboration, none of the achievements that led to this award would have been possible. Each one of the team has played an integral role in the success we celebrated at the Unsung Hero Awards. 

“Receiving this award fills me with an overwhelming sense of responsibility to continue striving for excellence and to give back to the security industry that has given me so much. It reinforces my belief in the power of teamwork, persistence, and the potential for positive change in culture and business practices to ensure we keep our information safe.”

At the same time, former Crest president Ian Glover was also recognised as Highly Commended in the same category.

Glover, a lifetime technologist who became fascinated with computing at the time of the Moon landings, pioneered information security practice in the public and private sectors in the 1970s and ’80s, before setting up Crest in 2008 as part of a drive to advocate for the interests of the emerging cyber security trade.

Speaking to Computer Weekly in 2020, Glover said: “[In 2008] It was really difficult to buy good-quality [cyber] services, you had no idea who you were buying from, you didn’t really understand what it was you were buying, and there was no ability to take action should things go wrong.

“That, to me, was a big problem – the possibility of an unconstrained penetration tester doing inappropriate things or accidentally bringing the system down was quite high. So, we looked to try to professionalise the industry.”