Evolving Threats in Intelligence and Security

December 20, 2023

John Sawers, former Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), shares his insights on how security threats have evolved with the rise of digital technologies and social media. In this interview, he offers a compelling exploration of the shift from traditional methods to contemporary security challenges. Sawers examines how intelligence approaches have adapted to address new threats, including the influence of social media on democratic processes and the evolving global geopolitical landscape. The discussion provides An insightful analysis of the current dynamics in intelligence work and highlights the critical issues facing intelligence services in an increasingly interconnected and digital world.

RELATED CONTENT

  • Authors
    February 23, 2016
    Two of the largest oil producers in Africa, Nigeria on the Atlantic and Libya on the Mediterranean are facing the two most violent terrorist groups on the continent. The Libyan version of Daesh and Boko Haram seem to be gaining ground to join in an area formed by three states that are vulnerable to the spread of terrorism. In Cameroon, the chaos is a concern post-Biya. Battle fatigue may reach the Chadian state that has been involved in an all-out battle. Niger, which is limited by ...
  • Authors
    February 23, 2016
    Deux des plus grands producteurs d'hydrocarbures en Afrique, le Nigeria sur l'Atlantique et la Libye sur la Méditerranée font face aux deux groupes terroristes les plus violents sur le continent. Daech version libyenne et Boko Haram semblent avancer pour se rejoindre dans un espace constitué par trois Etats qui présentent des vulnérabilités favorables à l'extension du terrorisme. Au Cameroun, le chao est à craindre dans l'après Biya. La battle fatigue peut atteindre l'Etat tchadien ...
  • Authors
    Jean-Yves Haine
    February 18, 2016
    Although the United States is less active in Africa than France, their security policies on the continent often have shared objectives and are sometimes pursued jointly. While the urgency of humanitarian crises has been at the centre of foreign interventions for a long time, now it tends to give way to the terrorist threat. The emergence and expansion of terrorist groups with a complex character, which are sometimes rivals of each other and claiming to follow radical Islam, has incr ...
  • Authors
    December 7, 2015
    The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was initiated with the aim to build a space of shared prosperity and security among all the countries in the region. The achievement of this objective, however, continues to be challenged by several geopolitical, economic and social factors. In such a context, there is now a greater urgency to adapt the approach and the instruments, thus allowing Euro-Mediterranean partners to seize opportunities towards an effective area of shared stability and pr ...
  • May 22, 2015
    Le Maroc dispose d’un espace maritime stratégique grâce auquel il peut renforcer ses attributs de puissance. Cet atout géopolitique et économique doit être porté par une véritable ambition nationale maritime. Quels sont les défis sécuritaires à surmonter et quelles sont les opportunités qui s’offrent aux Maroc sur le plan géopolitique? Autant de questions qui interpellent pouvoirs publics et think thanks nationaux. A ce titre, OCP Policy Center organise un Colloque sur la ...
  • Authors
    John B. Richardson
    Armando Marques Guedes
    Xavier de la Gorce
    Anne-François de Saint Salvy
    Paul Holthus
    November 29, 2012
    This paper examines the challenges posed by human activity on the Atlantic Ocean itself, and around its coasts, looking at it not so much as a vast expanse separating the Americas from Africa and Europe but rather as a shared resource and an important connector. All littoral states face a common challenge in maintaining its value as a foundation for sustained “blue growth” in the years to come. In Chapter 1, Armando Marques Guedes traces the evolution of the economic activities that ...
  • Authors
    Alexis Arieff
    July 1, 2011
    This paper explores the recent evolution of security cooperation between the United States and Algeria, which have forged a strong partnership on counterterrorism despite lingering mutual distrust. The United States has strengthened its defense outreach to Algeria over the past decade, largely based on concerns over transnational terrorism, and Algeria has sought to benefit from this outreach as it positions itself as a vital player on regional issues following years of civil confli ...