Chris Parker MBE

Director, Government Strategy, Fortinet, London. UK & International Cybersecurity strategy & comment. Views are my own.

[Deborah Haynes @haynesdeborah]

Extraordinarily - and this seems to demonstrate a complete disregard of the seriousness of defence at the heart of government - John Healey was only told what the offer was for additional defence funding on Monday afternoon.

I am told Number 10 then tried to rush and publish the Defence Investment Plan on Thursday.

Then a handbrake was applied by Mr Healey and his military chiefs. The (now ex) defence secretary made clear that racing to release the blueprint without a settlement that had been accepted by him and his team would be a risk for defence and for its soldiers, sailors and aviators.

You can only imagine the tone of the exchange that must have taken place - and I know that people were in the MOD until very late last night.

But John Healey firmly believes the settlement was inadequate and, if left unchallenged, would not enable the UK to keep the country safe or meet its international commitments - such as help defend Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.

A key detail is that Mr Healey believes defence spending must be increased to 3% of GDP by 2030, up from 2.3% now. This would guarantee tens of billions of additional pounds for defence.

But - despite the stakes and the position of the defence secretary - the Prime Minister and Chancellor agreed just to inch it up to 2.68% of GDP within that time frame, after hitting a new target of 2.6% next year (which is already being inflated by lumping in the 0.1% that is spent on the intelligence agencies).

Utterly incredible.

What must our allies and our adversaries be thinking, let alone everyone in the UK armed forces and, frankly, everyone in our country?

We all rely on a secure UK to live, work, go to school, enjoy holidays, access healthcare, spend time with friends and families.

This is not a divine right. It happens because we have security - something that might not be apparent until or unless it is compromised...

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

You might not see it—but shadow AI is already inside your org. 🥷 🤖

As employees adopt GenAI tools outside approved workflows, visibility drops, governance breaks down, and data risk increases.

@Fortinet's latest blog breaks down what this means: https://t.co/OmHbxZBjqh

[Vince Langman @LangmanVince]

Hilarious 😂

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

Well done @Mikethelitterpicker Your sense of service to the country puts into perspective many who talk the talk well but perhaps don’t deliver. Bravo you. Happy birthday!

[Mike The Litterpicker @mike56200]

It's my birthday today. I'm 61 and yes it's a day off today. I was lucky to retire in 2021 to concentrate fully on my volunteer litterpicking, graffiti & sign cleaning and community restoration. Keeps me fit! We can all do a bit if we can everything counts .

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

@elonmusknews30 Yes

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

@GWRHelp @cornishlad75562 Thanks from all us veterans. Means a lot

[The Best @TheBestqueenx]

A farmer couldn't attend his aunt’s funeral, so he put out heart-shaped food for his sheep so that she could see it from heaven.

[Defence Nuclear Enterprise @DNE_mod]

HMS Agamemnon has completed her first underwater dive🙌.

Conducted at @BAESystemsplc in Barrow, HMS Agamemnon’s onboard systems were tested. This included the ballast tanks which ensure she can surface.

The vessel’s precise weight and centre of gravity were also established.

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

The @Fortinet Training Institute is supporting the UK at BETT 2025!

📍 Visit us at stand SG31 to discover tools and strategies to foster a cyber-aware culture in your school for both teachers and students. Explore more here: https://t.co/uOyuEHh29O

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

.@Fortinet is in Davos this week for @wef's Annual Meeting and ready to share #cybersecurity insights and strategic counsel and making meaningful contributions that benefit our collective society. 🌎 #WEF25

🔗 Learn more: https://t.co/2zmqTohqi7

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

Hunting threats at the speed of #AI!

🤖 Uncover hidden threats before they strike with @Fortinet's #FortiAI—combining real-time analysis with proactive defense strategies to accelerate threat hunting and reduce investigative overhead. 🔒 https://t.co/DHsa5IvJqX

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

Join Fortinet at the Veterans Affairs Canada Digital Employment Workshop from January 21 to January 23 an event dedicated to empowering veterans on their career journey.

📅 Don’t Miss Our Presentation
Wednesday, January 22
Time:12:30 PM EST

Register now: https://t.co/qHR2gJYlhN

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

The convergence of #AI and #cybersecurity is an evolution—empowering organizations to boost defenses against modern threats.

🚀 🔐 Learn how working with the right vendor helps assess how your organization can use AI in your security infrastructure: https://t.co/Tan9AxX80Z

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

🔎 🐟 @FortiGuardLabs has found that threat actors are finding new ways to bypass traditional #phishing detection methods.

Learn how a recent PayPal phishing campaign managed to evade "phish-free" protections by exploiting legitimate services ➡️ https://t.co/mRHvHJScdZ

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

With 90% of organizations facing a breach in the last year, the message is clear—nobody can fight cybercrime alone. 🛡️

Learn how @Fortinet is leading collaborative efforts like the @WEF's PAC and Cybercrime Atlas to disrupt future cybercrime. https://t.co/7djhe8eDDz

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

Ready to transform your network operations with #GenAI? 🤖 🔐

Discover how @Fortinet's #FortiAI transforms network operations—empowering #NetOps teams to streamline tasks, boost precision, and stay ahead of evolving challenges. https://t.co/NgrzvCExhC

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

🆕 @Fortinet has been named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for SD-WAN for the 5️⃣th year in a row—and positioned highest in Ability to Execute for the fourth consecutive year!

Learn more about #Fortinet Secure #SDWAN ➡️ https://t.co/Ne30lAZvyj

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

“Best of the breed cloud delivered security solution to secure hybrid workforce” 

@Fortinet has been recognized as a 2024 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Customer Choice vendor for Security Service Edge (SSE) report for the second time in a row! https://t.co/E9SNSbBqjS

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

This spring, @Fortinet #Accelerate25 is set to take place in Berlin where partners, customers, and anyone passionate about #cybersecurity will come together to share challenges, solutions, ideas, and game-changing technologies.

Learn more: https://t.co/cwiMrKm3EV

[Chris Parker MBE @chrisoncyber]

Looking for an integrated #SASE solution to rapidly converge and scale your organizations networking and security strategies, but not sure where to start?

🧐 ✅ @Fortinet has a checklist for that. Find out more: https://t.co/50Ni7OGTxI