Podcasts · NCSC Cyber Series

Institutional Wilful Blindness: Part 2

23 Sep 2026 · 28 min

If organisations understand cyber risk, what does it actually take to turn awareness into action?

In this second part of our two-part special on institutional wilful blindness, host Darragh continues the conversation with leadership expert and author Margaret Heffernan, Professor Genevieve Liveley, Director of the Research Institute for Sociotechnical Cyber Security (RISCS), and Kathryn, Head of Social Sciences at NCSC.

Building on the themes explored in part one, the panel examines what prevents organisations from acting even when the risks are clear, and how leaders can create environments where cyber resilience becomes part of everyday decision-making. The discussion explores the balance between accountability and blame, the importance of curiosity and challenge in organisational culture, and why resilience is about more than technology alone.

Together, they consider what effective leadership looks like in the face of uncertainty, how organisations can overcome complacency, and the practical steps that help move cyber security from a recognised priority to meaningful action.

Looking ahead, the conversation explores what truly resilient organisations have in common, and how culture, people and technology can work together to strengthen cyber resilience over the long term.

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