Page 2 - delegate brochure FINAL (2)

WELCOME TO THE SCIENCE OF SECURITY

Institute Chairman

Professor Alison Wakefield PhD CSyP FSyI

With longstanding vulnerabilities as well as new, complex and cascading
threats on the horizon, associated with unprecedented acceleration in
the speed of change, the UK Ministry of Defence’s Global Strategic Trends
report argues that we have reached an ‘inflection point’. Threat to states,
organisations and individuals have intensified in scale, diversity and
complexity and require fundamental changes in approach, according to
the MoD, to one that is ‘permanently innovative, adaptable, responsive
and proactive’. Science and technology have been the primary drivers of
change and economic growth but have also brought about the new risks
and threats on the horizon.

To counter these, we must maintain a strategic and technological
advantage, staying ahead of our adversaries. Research and innovation are
critical to addressing the significant security challenges of the present era
and the coming decades, with the social, physical, biological, and computer
sciences all having important contributions to make. It is critical that there
are ongoing developments in the technologies and tools that serve the
needs of those on the front line, facing such threats as terrorism, cyber
attack, organised crime and natural disaster.

Protective security is still an emerging field, underpinned by a growing
and increasingly distinct body of knowledge that is transforming it into a
profession and academic discipline. This year’s conference on the Science
of Security is intended to highlight and share some of the scientific and
technological innovations that are revolutionising security practice and
driving our profession forward. Many of our individual and corporate
members are at the forefront of such innovation, and initiatives like
the Joint Security and Resilience Centre within the Home Office and the
Defence and Security Accelerator within the Ministry of Defence serve to
bring government, industry and academia closer together and promote and
fund further advances.

As such relationships strengthen, it is an exciting time for our profession
Respected. and for the Institute, with growing opportunity to showcase the significant
contributions we can make to societal security in the future. We hope you
will enjoy participating in the conference and being part of the conversation
Recognised. about the major contemporary and future security threats and scientific

contributions to their mitigation.
Professional.

2